At around 1 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire and several other agencies responded to “several small fires” north of Buena Vista Drive and closed all northbound lanes on Highway 1 – just north of Watsonville.
“If you can avoid that area, there’s going to be traffic backed up and a lot of emergency vehicles working,” said Cal Fire spokesperson Cecile Juliette.
Juliette said the cause of the fires was unknown and a smaller area adjacent to the fire was being evacuated. She said she didn’t yet know how many people were affected or if anyone lives in that evacuation area.
She said several agencies were assisting, including Cal Fire, San Mateo County Fire, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County.
At around 2:15 p.m., Cal Fire’s CZU unit said that forward progress on the Buena fire had been stopped, with an estimated 2 acres affected.
Initially, California Highway Patrol announced that two far right lanes were closed and later closed all northbound lanes at Buena Vista Drive. CHP said traffic was being diverted to Airport Boulevard.
“Avoid the area and stay tuned for updates on reopening,” CHP officials wrote on X. “Stay safe!”
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