Loma Fire: Wildfire In Santa Cruz Mountains Grows To 2,250 Acres [LATEST]

UPDATE: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 9:15 p.m. SANTA CRUZ and SANTA CLARA COUNTIES, CA – A wildfire has grown to about 2,250 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains of southern Santa Clara County since Monday afternoon, destroying one home, damaging another and leading to hundreds of evacuations, according to Cal Fire.

The Loma Fire sparked in the area of Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads about 10 miles northwest of Morgan Hill around 2:50 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire officials said.

The area is north of the border between Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, where a large plume of smoke could be seen for miles.

On Monday, the fire had spread to more than 400 acres as of 5:40 p.m. and grown to 1,000 acres by 9:30 p.m.

The blaze has charred through 2,250 acres and was 10 percent contained as of Tuesday evening.

It has spread to the Mount Loma Prieta, Mount Chual and Uvas Creek drainages, Cal Fire officials said.

Roughly 300 structures are threatened, and numerous residents of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties have been evacuated, Oliver said.

Reverse 911 calls have been sent to affected Santa Clara County residents through the AlertSCC notification system, Cal Fire officials said.

Residents have been ordered to leave the Loma Prieta ridgeline area, which includes Uvas Canyon County Park and Summit Road from Soquel San Jose Road to the Ormsby Fire Station, according to Cal Fire.

In Santa Clara County, deputies helped evacuate people on Loma Prieta, Casa Loma, Summit, Uvas and Loma Chiquita roads, sheriff's officials said.

In Santa Cruz County, people have been advised to evacuate Summit Road between Loma Prieta and the Ormsby Cutoff, county officials said. An evacuation center initially set up at Soquel High School at 401 Old San Jose Road in Soquel has moved to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds' Grange Hall at 2601 East Lake Ave. in Watsonville, county officials said.

Other centers are available at the Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley at 14855 Oka Road in Los Gatos and Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church at 16970 De Witt Ave. in Morgan Hill, Cal Fire officials said.

Traffic has been blocked in multiple areas including Loma Chiquita Road, Mount Bache Road at Highland Road and Mount Madonna Road at Pole Line Road, Cal Fire officials said.

Residents are allowed to travel on Croy and Uvas roads, according to Cal Fire.

More than 500 firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze with assistance from helicopter, air tanker and water tender crews, according to Cal Fire.

Many firefighters from San Jose, the Bay Area and throughout the state have been sent to help extinguish the blaze, working under 24-hour shifts, Oliver said.

The high temperatures have increased the need for crews to stay hydrated and stay ahead of the "fatigue factor," Oliver said.

The state's Office of Emergency Service has sent its large animal rescue volunteer group to rescue horses and other livestock, according to Oliver.

Those with livestock can seek assistance at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds and Santa Cruz County Horsemen's Association grounds on Graham Hill Road, American Red Cross officials said.

The blaze has led to a power outage for 191 PG&E customers in Santa Clara County as of Tuesday afternoon, utility officials said.

PG&E crews were sent to Uvas and Croy roads Tuesday afternoon to cut vegetation near power poles and spray the poles with fire retardant to lessen the chance of damage from the blaze, according to PG&E.

No injuries had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Anyone looking for more information on the fire can call the Loma Fire public hotline at (408) 779-0930.

___________________________

UPDATE: TUESDAY, SEPT. 27, 11:40 a.m.:

SANTA CLARA and SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES, CA – A wildfire that has burned more than 1,000 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains of southern Santa Clara County since Monday afternoon has destroyed one home, damaged another and led to hundreds of evacuations, according to Cal Fire.

The Loma Fire sparked in the area of Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads about 10 miles northwest of Morgan Hill around 2:50 p.m., Cal Fire officials said.

The area is north of the border between Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, where a large plume of smoke could be seen for miles.

The fire had spread to more than 400 acres as of 5:40 p.m., fire officials said, and by 9:30 p.m. it had grown to 1,000 acres.

The blaze has charred through 1,085 acres and was 5 percent contained as of this morning. It has spread to the Mount Loma Prieta, Mount Chual and Uvas Creek drainages, Cal Fire officials said.

Roughly 300 structures are threatened, and numerous residents of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties have been evacuated, Cal Fire officials said.

Residents have been ordered to leave the Loma Prieta ridgeline area that includes Uvas Canyon County Park and Summit Road from Soquel San Jose Road to the Ormsby Fire Station, according to Cal Fire.

In Santa Clara County, deputies helped evacuate people on Loma Prieta, Casa Loma, Summit, Uvas and Loma Chiquita roads, sheriff's officials said.

Evacuation centers have been set up at Soquel High School at 401 Old San Jose Road in Soquel, the Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley at 14855 Oka Road in Los Gatos and Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church at 16970 De Witt Ave. in Morgan Hill, Cal Fire officials said.

Traffic has been blocked in multiple areas, including Loma Chiquita Road; Mount Bache Road at Highland Road; and Mount Madonna Road at Pole Line Road, Cal Fire officials said.

Residents are allowed to travel on Croy and Uvas roads, according to Cal Fire.

Roughly 500 firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze with assistance from helicopter, air tanker and water tender crews, according to Cal Fire. San Jose firefighters have also been sent to the scene, city fire officials said.

No injuries had been reported as of this morning. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

_______________________________

TUESDAY, SEPT. 27, 9:45 a.m.

Firefighters from throughout the area this morning are aggressively fighting the Loma Fire, which continues to spread in the Loma Chiquita Road and Loma Prieta Road area of the Santa Cruz Mountains and is threatening 300 structures, according to Cal Fire.

The blaze, which began Monday afternoon 10 miles west of Morgan Hill, is now at 1,085 acres with 5 percent containment. The fire is currently burning in the Mt Loma Prieta, Mt Chual and Uvas Creek drainages.

Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for the Loma Prieta ridgeline area, including all tributary roads along Summit Road from Soquel San Jose Road to Ormsby Fire Station. This includes Uvas Canyon County Park, Loma Chiquita, Casa Loma, Loma Prieta Way, Highland Road and Mount Bache Road, the agency said.

Portions of Croy Road are under an evacuation warning.

More than 500 firefighters are at the scene, Cal Fire said.

Road closures as of this morning:

• Loma Chiquita Road
• Summit Road from Soquel San Jose Road to Pole Line Road
• Mount Bache Road at Highland Road
• Casa Loma Road at McKean/Uvas
• Mount Madonna at Ormsby Road
• Mount Madonna Road at Pole Line Road
• Croy Road at Uvas Road is open to residents only.

Evacuation centers established include:

• Soquel High School, 401 Old San Jose Road,
• Soquel Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley, 14855 Oka Road,
• Los Gatos Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church, 16970 De Witt Ave., Morgan Hill

The cause is under investigation.

Also see other NorCal fire updates:

• Soberanes Fire: Containment at 81% With 128,300 Acres Consumed
• Lockhart Gulch Road Fire: Fully Contained in Scotts Valley
• Cambridge Fire: Marin Co. Blaze Is At 75% Containment
• Sawmill Fire: Containment Improves; 1,500 Acres Consumed

Previous Loma Fire coverage:

• Loma Fire: Santa Cruz Mountain Wildfire Surges To 1,000 Acres
• Santa Cruz Mountains Wildfire Explodes

--Bay City News contributed to this report/Photos courtesy of Santa Clara County Fire Department, Cal Fire, Scott Morris, J. Rick Allen, Mt. Umunhum