Firefighters Begin To Make Progress On CZU Lightning Complex Fire

Read Tuesday's story on the fires here.

BAY AREA, CA — The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned another 4,000 acres overnight for a total of 78,000 acres scorched, but surprisingly good weather this weekend helped firefighters make progress on containment in a short period of time, officials said Monday.

Containment for the fires burning near the San Mateo-Santa Cruz county line is now at 13 percent, said the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit (CZU) Monday morning. Officials cautioned during a news conference that there is still much progress to be made, but firefighters have been able to make progress on establishing control lines in parts of the fire bordering homes, including the south end of the fire burning toward the city of Santa Cruz and University of California, Santa Cruz.

Firefighters have also made progress in bringing the fire under control in areas near Felton and the Highway 9 corridor.

Still, more than 24,000 buildings are threatened and 176 homes have been destroyed since the fire began about a week ago, according to Cal Fire CZU. A 70-year-old man was found dead Sunday in the Last Chance area of Santa Cruz County and four others in the county remain missing.

An estimated 77,000 people in the area have been evacuated and an evacuation warning was issued for parts of Santa Clara County. Officials stressed Monday that this warning was issued out of an abundance of caution due to the red flag warning and possibility that the situation could change rapidly.

See more information on evacuation orders, warnings and centers below.

The fires have caused several area post offices to temporarily close.

Santa Cruz County residents who are served by the post offices in Davenport and Scotts Valley may pick up mail at the Santa Cruz Main Post Office (850 Front St., Santa Cruz). Anyone who gets mail from post offices in Felton, Mt. Hermon, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek and Brookdale should get their mail at the Watsonville Post Office (225 Main St., Watsonville), according to the U.S. Postal Service.

San Mateo County residents who are served by post offices in Loma Mar, Pescadero or San Gregorio should get mail at the Half Moon Bay Post Office (500 Stone Pine Road). Anyone who gets their mail from the La Honda location should get their mail at the Redwood City Post Office (1100 Broadway St., Redwood City).

More than 1,500 firefighters from federal, state and local levels are on scene, including firefighters from other states. Crews are seeking to keep the fire north of Highway 17, south of Highway 92, east of Highway 1 and west of I-280 while working in steep, rugged terrain that complicates firefighting efforts.

The progress is in part thanks to some light rain and higher humidity levels observed ahead of Monday. While National Weather Service officials forecast the possibility of lightning Sunday into Monday, very little such activity was observed. There was no lightning in the area of the CZU Lightning Complex Fires.

About 80 law enforcement officers are patrolling evacuation areas, which are closed to the public, on burglary suppression operations. Another three arrests related to being in closed evacuation areas were made Sunday night.

Last week, people with two carloads of stolen items were arrested, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

Anyone in need of assistance as a result of the fires may apply for federal disaster assistance here.

This is a developing story; refresh for updates.

Information on road closures, evacuation orders and more, per Cal Fire:

Road Closures

San Mateo County

• Pescadero Creek Road between Alpine and Cloverdale Rd.

• Cloverdale Road between Pescadero Creek Road and Gazos Creek.
• Whitehouse Canyon Road at Highway 1
• Portola Heights Road at Skyline
• State Route 1 at Rossi Road
• State Route 1 at Ano Nuevo

Santa Cruz County

• State Route 1 at Shaffer Road to Ano Nuevo

• State Route 9 at State Route 35 to Paradise Park
• Westbound Zayante at Graham Hill Dr to Lockwood
• Empire Grade at Heller Drive
• Westbound State Route 35 at Upper Zayante into San Mateo County
• Westbound State Route 236 at Jamison Creek
• Pine Flat at Empire Grade
• Ice Cream Grade at Empire Grade
• Felton Empire at Fall Creek
• Empire Grade at Smith Grade
• Empire Grade at Felton Empire
• Bonny Doon Rd at Pine Flat
• Alba Rd at Empire Grade
• State Route 35 at Bear Creek Rd to Boulder Creek
• Granite Creek at Scotts Valley, this includes southbound offramp closure at
Highway 17 at Granite Creek
• Westbound Mount Hermon at Glen Canyon Rd to Graham Hill Road
• Zayante at State Route 35

Evacuation Orders

San Mateo County

• Communities of Loma Mar and Dearborn Park Area (Zone SMC E018)

(8/18/2020 5:00 pm)
• Pescadero Creek County Park Area (Zone SMC E024) (8/18/2020 4:30 pm)
• Butano Community Area (Zone SMC E098) (8/18/2020 5:00 pm)
• Butano State Park including Barranca Knolls Community (Zone SMC E019)
(8/18/2020 4:30 pm)
• Butano Creek Drainage (Zone SMC E055) (8/18/2020 4:30 pm)
• South Skyline Blvd. Area near Highway 9 (SMC E049) (8/18/2020 11:00 pm)
• Russian Ridge Open Space Reserve Area (Zone SMC E027)(8/18/2020 11:00 pm)
• Middleton Tract Area (Zone SMC E044) (8/18/2020 11:00 pm)
• Portola Redwoods State Park and the Portola Heights Community Area
• (Zone SMC E048) (8/18/2020 11:00 pm)
• Pescadero Beach Area (Zone SMC E073) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• Bean Hollow Area (Zone SMC E042) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• Pescadero Area (Zone SMC E043) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• San Gregorio Area (Zone SMC E022) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• La Honda Area (Zone SMC E028) 8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• Red Barn Area (Zone SMC E010) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• Russian Bridge Open Space Area (Zone SMC E027) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• Skylonda Area (Zone SMC E012) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• Langley Hill Area ( Zone SMC E010) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)
• Bean Hollow Area (Zone SMC E042) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Santa Cruz County

• Waterman Gap Loop, Upper HWY 236, Boulder Creek Golf Course, Heartwood Hill, Lodge Road, Community of Little Basin, Lower China Grade, Upper China Grade, Community of Kings Hwy, Lower Jamison Creek, Gallion Heights, Fallen Leaf Neighborhood, Foxglove Lane (Zones CRZ10, CRZ13, BOU36, BOU20, BOU30, BOU31, BOU36, BOU37, BOU21) (8/18/2020 10 pm)

• Saratoga Toll Road, San Lorenzo Park, Riverside Grove-Community of Teilh Drive, Wildwood Road (Zones: BOU38, BOU39, BOU40, BOU41, BOU42, BOU43) (8/18/2020 7:30 PM)

• Saratoga Toll Road, San Lorenzo Park, Riverside Grove-Community of Teilh Drive, Wildwood Road (BOU38, BOU39, BOU40, BOU41, BOU42, BOU43)

• Everyone on Empire Grade Road, from Felton Empire north, all of Pine Flat Road, all of Ice Cream Grade, Bonny Doon Road, in between Pine Flat Road, Martin Road, and all associated side streets are under an evacuation order. (CRZ1, CRZ2, CRZ3, CRZ4, CRZ5, CRZ10, CRZ11, CRZ12, CRZ13, CRZ14, CRZ15) (8/19/2020 1:00 am)

• Bonny Doon south of Ice Cream Grade, to include Pine Flat Road South is now under an evacuation order. (CRZ7, CRZ8)

• Areas of Alba Road, Hubbard Gulch and Fanning Grade. (BEN 1) (8/19/2020 6:00 pm)

• All areas of Ben Lomond (Zones BEN 2 – BEN 5) (8/19/2020 7:00 pm)

• The area of Lompico (Zones ZAY 11, ZAY 12) (8/19/2020 7:00 pm)

• All areas adjacent to the Bonny Doon and San Lorenzo Valley should be prepared to evacuate if necessary. (CRZ7, CRZ8) (8/20/2020 1:00 am)

• Areas West of Highway 9 to Empire Grade

• South from Bear Creek Road to Felton, this includes Ben Lomond

• Paradise Park (Zones: CRZ 63, CRZ 64) (8/20/2020 7:00pm)

• University of California Santa Cruz, campus only (Zone: SCZ 4) (8/20/2020 7:00pm)

• The areas of Zayante Canyon (Zones: ZAY 1 – ZAY 17) (8/20/2020 1:00 pm)

• Scotts Valley West of State Route 17 (Zones: SCO 1-5, SCO 7, SCO 14-20, SCO 21 – SCO 25) (8/20/2020 7:00 pm)

• Davenport south (Zones: CRZ 6, CRZ 9, CRZ 17) (8/19/2020 7:00 pm)

• All areas of Felton (Zones: FEL 1 – FEL 6) (8/20/2020 8:00 am) • Butano State Park area including Barrranca Knolls Community (Zone: SMC E019) (8/18/2020 4:30 pm)

• East of Zayante Canyon west of State Route 17 and south of State Route 35 (Zones: CRZ 18, CRZ 19, CRZ 20) (8/20/2020 7:00 pm)

Evacuation Warnings

Santa Clara County

• Foothills Park to Santa Clara County line, including Los Trancos Open Space (Zones: PA-E002) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

• South of Moody Road, West of Rancho San Antonio Open Space, West of Black Mountain to Highway 35/ Skyline (Zones: PA – E001) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)
• Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, south of Monte Bello Road to Highway 35/Skyline. (Zones: PA – E006) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)
• Upper Stevens Creek County Park to Highway 35/Skyline. (Zones: PA-E008) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)
• West of Stevens Creek County Park, north of Congress Springs Road to Highway 35/Skyline (Zones: SCC-E025, SCC-E026) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)
• South of Congress Springs Road, west of Sanborn Road to Highway 35/Skyline, including Sanborn- Skyline County Park. (Zones: SCC-E010, SCC-E028) (8/23/2020 6 :00 pm)
• South of Lyndon Canyon, west of Highway 17 to Highway 35 (Summit/Skyline), including the community of Redwood Estates. (Zones: SCC-E027, SCC-E013, SCCE015, SCC-E017(8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

Evacuation Centers

San Mateo County

• Half Moon Bay High School, 1 Lewis Foster Drive, Half Moon Bay

• San Mateo Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive

Santa Cruz County

• Santa Cruz County Fairground, 2601 E. Lake Avenue, Watsonville

• Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz

• Seventh Day Adventist Camp Grounds, 1931 Soquel San Jose Rd

• Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos CA

• Santa Cruz Bible Church, 440 Frederick Street, Santa Cruz
• Simpkins Family Swim Center, 919 17th Ave (ADA only)
Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive

Animal Evacuation Centers

• Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Avenue in Watsonville (Large farm animals are being accepted, for information and assistance contact 650-450-0520)
• Watsonville Animal Shelter, 580 Airport Blvd

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the fire's acronym.