Quick Take
First responders from Cal Fire and the Santa Cruz fire and police departments were on scene Friday in and around DeLaveaga Park after a wildfire broke out about 12:30 p.m. among eucalyptus trees in the park. Forward progress on the blaze, estimated at 3 to 5 acres, was stopped around 3 p.m.
Firefighters from multiple agencies responded quickly to a wildfire that broke out around 12:30 p.m. Friday in eucalyptus trees at DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz, with Cal Fire’s CZU unit reporting around 3 p.m. that forward progress had been stopped.
The cause of the fire, estimated to have burned 3 to 5 acres, was still under investigation.
Given the extremely dry fuels amid California’s ongoing drought, the blaze caught the attention of many on social media, with Santa Cruzans capturing photos and video of Cal Fire helicopters sucking water from the San Lorenzo River near the Beach Boardwalk to dump on the fire.
The Santa Cruz Police Department reported that its officers were going door to door in the neighborhood bordering the park to alert residents to the danger.
Here’s what Lookout’s Kevin Painchaud saw from the DeLaveaga Golf Course.
Quick Take