By Jondi Gumz
On Thursday afternoon, Cal Fire lifted the evacuation order for 12,000 people in Scotts Valley who left their homes a week ago for fear the CSU Lightning Complex fire would reach their city.
Likewise, the evacuation order for unincorporated Scotts Valley and Paradise Paradise Park and Cave Gulch has been lifted as Cal Fire officials have confidence the defensive lines installed to protect these areas will hold as the fire burns in San Lorenzo Valley.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you around town,” said Scotts Valley Police Chief Steve Walpole in a Facebook post featuring officers holding up signs saying “Welcome Back Scotts Valley.”
As of Thursday morning, the fire, started by lightning on Aug. 16 near Waddell Creek, had grown to 81,333 acres, 21% contained with 646 structures destroyed, 635 of them in Santa Cruz County — and 1,982 firefighters are here and focused on extinguishing the flames.
“I’m as anxious as anybody to get home,” said Sheriff Jim Hart, who said 74 of his staff and District Attorney Jeff Rosell have been evacuated. “Some live in the fire area. We’ve been heavily impacted.”
The hardest hit areas are Bonny Doon, Swanton, Big Basin and Boulder Creek.
These areas have been heavily burnt, with more damage to roads and water systems and it will take more time before it’s safe for residents to return, according to Chief Chris Clark of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
At a 3 p.m. press conference, Clark said, “Cal Fire feels very confident there is not any threat to the city of Scotts Valley.”
Some 42 officers, some deputies and some from other agencies, were patrolling Thursday to prevent looting in the evacuation areas.
Clark said Cal Fire’s base camp will remain in Scotts Valley. This means there will be a lot of emergency vehicles going in and out to San Lorenzo Valley, where the fire is not yet under control.
Visiting firefighters have been staying in tents at Skypark and Cal Fire has been holding twice-daily briefings at Scotts Valley Senior Center at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., and posting the recordings on Twitter at @CALFIRECZU.
Clark said roadblocks have been removed on Glen Canyon Road and Graham Hill Road to allow residents to return. Non-residents are asked to stay out; if they don’t live in the neighborhood, they will be stopped, Clark said.
Cal Fire asks residents to stay out of closed areas, so as not to impede firefighting efforts or create a rescue situation.
Homeowners who shut off their gas when they left must visit the PG&E website for information on how to properly have your gas turned back on. That website is www.pge.com/en_US/safety/gas-safety/gas-safety-tips.page
The repopulation, as Cal Fire terms it, is being done by zone.
To check your zone, visit smco.community.zonehaven. The open zones are:
- SCO-1, SCO-2, SCO-3, SCO-4, SCO-5, SCO-7, SCO-14, SCO-15, SCO-16, SCO-17, SCO-18, SCO-19, SCO-20, SCO-21, SCO-22, SCO-23, SCO-24, SCO-25
- CRZ-18B, CRZ 19, CRZ-20
- CRZ-63
- CRZ-9A