Water Management Agency Candidates Cal Fire Strategy Paying Off, By Jondi Gumz

COMMUNITY NEWS Cal Fire Strategy Paying Off

By Jondi Gumz

From the outset, Cal Fire’s strategy was to box the CZU Lightning Complex fire in, and keep flames from jumping the box. It appears to be working, with evacuees from UC Santa Cruz the first of 77,000 exiles in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties allowed to return.

As of Wednesday night, the fire, which started Aug. 16, covered 80,137 acres in the two counties — with 21% contained and 1,982 personnel, an increase of 300, assigned to the task.

A total of 590 structures were destroyed, 579 in Santa Cruz County; damage assessment is 55% complete.

Tad Jones, 73, of Last Chance Road in Davenport, a hard-hit area, was the first casualty; he was found on his property. A 63-year-old Felton woman was found dead in her home Monday; her name has not been released.

Three people have been found but three are missing, according to Chief Chris Clark of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, identifying them as Henry Reinke,

70, Micah Szoke, 37, Scotts Valley to report and Shane Smith, their progress. 21. Missing persons Battalion Chief can be reported to Mark Brunton and 831-471-1121. Assistant Chief Billy

For evacuees See described the wondering when strategy to box the fire they could return in by creating “lines” home, Clark said — defensive trenches Wednesday it could wide enough to be “a day or days” for prevent embers from Scotts Valley, a city blowing across. of 12,000, “days or a This task was week” for Felton, “a accomplished relaweek to weeks” for Firefighters prepare for another round fighting the tively quickly in the Ben Lomond, and CZU Lightning Fires in front of Bonny Doon Church. south, protecting “weeks” for Boulder the heavily forested Creek and Bonny Doon where the fire UCSC campus and the city of Santa Cruz, damage is so extensive, with downed but it’s much more challenging on the east power lines and trees in the roadways. along Highway 9 in Felton, Ben Lomond, PG&E is following firefighters into areas Boulder Creek and in Bonny Doon where deemed safe to restore power. terrain is steep and homes are interspersed

Cal Fire Deputy Chief Jonathan Cox among the redwoods. Crews work by hand has hosted daily press conferences at 6 a.m. because the job can’t be done by bulldozers. and 6 p.m. at the firefighters’ base camp in For the first week, smoky air grounded Cal Fire aircraft and helicopters. Once the air cleared, they dumped 1.6 million gallons of water.

On Thursday, a critical operation was scheduled in San Lorenzo Valley — a burn designed to “control the fire on our terms,” as See put it. The job was expected to take 24 to 30 hours but was delayed a bit, first by a weather change, and then by a brazen theft of the commander’s personal protective equipment by someone who broke into his truck.

If the burn is successful, residents of Scotts Valley would be protected and could return home, with the other communities to follow, as long as roads are safe, and gas, electric sand water service are available.

Water is a concern because the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, which serves San Lorenzo Valley and part of Scotts Valley, had three tanks damaged, reducing storage capacity by half. Emergency repairs have been authorized.

“Cal Fire” page 21