Pacheco Pass fire burns more than 20 acres

Flames charred some brush areas along the Central Coast on Monday. Crews said if it weren’t for some help from nature, it could’ve been much worse.

One of those fires flared up Monday afternoon just east of Gilroy.

Firefighters were still working late Monday night, trying to figure out how the brush fire started. But they said hot weather and high winds were major factors.

With the rise in temperatures and winds around the state comes increased concern for Cal Fire.

“The fire was moving pretty quick. So the guys made a pretty quick stomp on it,” said Batt. Chief Mike Jarske, Santa Clara County Cal Fire.

A little more than 20 acres burned on private property along Highway 152 in Pacheco Pass.

“If it had gone up the hill, we’d have been here a couple of days,” Jarske said.

This is what firefighters call a dirty burn with trees and debris in the path of the flames. But the landscape helped responders too.

“Got into the creek and that slowed it down. One of those natural barriers that we often use to help us with containment lines and the creek helped slow it down a bit,” Jarske said.

With the 4th of July coming up this weekend. Jarske said Cal fire is paying extra close attention to some of the common causes of brush fires-like sparks from cars, fireworks, or cigarettes.

“We just want people to be really careful, be smart with what they’re doing. We’ve got a little wind out here in the canyon and all that adds up,” Jarske said.

The landowner has been notified and said nobody had been on the property. Cal Fire officials said they planned to be here throughout Monday night to keep an eye on things and continue to investigate how this fire started.