Santa Cruz County leaders talking about the Bear Fire

Santa Cruz County leaders held a panel discussion on the Bear Fire Wednesday night.

The discussion was called “Lessons learned from the Bear Fire.”

The Bear Fire started on October 17, 2017 and burned nearly 400 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Panelists include county supervisors, the Cal Fire division chief, Boulder Creek fire chief and more.

“Something can happen very seriously and we want to advise people what they can do to clear their properties as much as they can,” said Santa Cruz County supervisor Bruce McPherson.

The panelists discussed what happened during the fire, the challenges they faced, along with future evacuation routes and how to keep the community safe.

One of the main messages leaders wanted to get out was prevention.

“No matter what the cause is we have to be prepared as best we can be that the citizens of San Lorenzo Valley, know what they can do to help prevent a big conflagration that we never want to see,” McPherson said.

The event was held at the Bear Creek Country Club in Boulder Creek from 6-8 p.m.