CZU Fires 85% Contained; Just 1 Shelter Remains Open

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Just one shelter in Watsonville will remain open after Friday evening to serve the 188 residents who remain displaced after the CZU August Lightning Complex fires, which have destroyed 925 homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Nearly 2,500 residents were in shelters at one point, but residents of the North Coast, Bonny Doon and San Lorenzo Valley areas have begun to return home, the county said in a news release. The American Red Cross has also provided resources to fire victims.

The fire has burned 86,500 acres and is at 85 percent containment.