CZU Lightning Complex Fire: City Of Santa Cruz August 24 Update

Press release from the City of Santa Cruz:

August 24, 2020

SANTA CRUZ, CA — With the cancellation of the National Weather Service’s “red flag warning” for the area, there is currently very little threat of fire crossing into the City of Santa Cruz. There are currently no evacuation warnings or mandatory orders for the City of Santa Cruz.

“The red flag warning has been lifted for our area. That means we are no longer under extreme weather conditions. The other good news is that crews have made great progress on securing line and containment on the southern end of this fire, which is what the threat was to our city. I am confident that the fire will not reach the City of Santa Cruz at this point,” said City of Santa Cruz Fire Chief Jason Hajduk.

While there is no imminent threat of fire to the City of Santa Cruz, the weather continues to change, and fire conditions are unpredictable. The region is only at the beginning of wildland fire season, and residents should continue to prepare their homes for potential threat.

Create Defensible Space at Your Home

The biggest threat to homes and structures are ember ignitions within 0 to 100 feet of your home. To protect against threat, residents should prepare their homes immediately:

• Gather flammable items from the exterior of the house. Bring patio furniture, toys, doormats and trashcans inside.
• Remove flammable vegetation. This includes from exteriors and gutters.
• Leave exterior lights on. Your home should stay visible at night.
• Check on neighbors. Make sure they are preparing to leave.

City Operations | Map

City departments, including solid waste management and water, have adapted operations and are providing uninterrupted service to residents. There is continued risk to critical water infrastructure located within the boundaries of the evacuated areas in north Santa Cruz County.

The City is contributing resources to the regional fire-fighting and recovery effort. The 8-acre city-owned property in Scotts Valley known as Skypark is serving as the main CAL-FIRE operations center for county-wide fire management. The Civic Auditorium was activated as the first shelter at 12:30 a.m. on August 19 for immediate relief for evacuated county-wide residents, and the City has continued to staff this location. Economic Development is working with displaced county-wide businesses for pop-up opportunities in downtown Santa Cruz to help limit the fiscal impacts of the crisis.

How Residents Can Help

While the immediate threat to the City has subsided, our region is still being severely impacted by the ongoing disaster. Here are ways you can help:

• STAY AWAY from the impacted areas so first responders can do their jobs
• Donate to the Santa Cruz Community Foundation Fire Response Fund
• Volunteer for local shelters
• Sign up as a volunteer
• View fire-related opportunities
• Sign up for a shift at the Emeline Warehouse
• Donate new items listed at the County website at 1082 Emeline St. in Santa Cruz

This press release was produced by the City of Santa Cruz. The views expressed here are the author’s own.