A vegetation fire that broke out near West Cliff Drive and Natural Bridges State Beach forced the evacuation of the park on Thursday afternoon. It was first reported around 3 p.m.
Santa Cruz Police Department spokesperson Katie Lee was on scene and said that personnel from the Santa Cruz Fire Department, Cal Fire, SCPD and California State Parks responded to the small blaze.
Cal Fire sent two engines as well as a helicopter, which provided air support.
A moderate plume of smoke billowed into the sky between the grove of eucalyptus trees within the park as beachgoers made their way out of the area and fire crews worked to contain the blaze, along with another small fire that broke out near the park’s visitor center.
As of 4 p.m., the smoke had substantially decreased. The Santa Cruz Fire Department said that the fire had been contained as of 4:12 p.m. in a Facebook post.
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