San Benito County brush fire grows to 101 acres, destroys at least one structure

A brush fire just east of Santa Cruz County spread to more than 100 acres Friday morning and had destroyed at least one structure, officials said.

Containment was 25% at 7:30 a.m. Friday, per Cal Fire.

The Anzar fire was reported around 3:20 p.m. Thursday near the San Benito County community of Aromas, between Salinas and Gilroy, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Foggy conditions early Friday were predicted to help battle the blaze, with smoke visible around the Monterey Bay area.

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Initially, two fires were reported in the area, with one’s forward progress stopped at around 50 acres, officials said.
The fire prompted evacuations in the area near Anzar Road with an evacuation center set up at Anzar High School.
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, the fire had destroyed one structure and was threatening at least four others, Cal Fire officials said. It was unclear whether the destroyed structure was a home or other building.

About 200 fire personnel were battling the blaze, which officials said was burning at a moderate rate of spread, fueled by acres of eucalyptus trees.

The Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit said it had sent nine engines, a helicopter and a bulldozer to assist with firefighting.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.