Fire in Corralitos leaves 3 firefighters injured
UPDATE 11/18/2018 6:22 p.m. The fire that sparked in Corralitos early Sunday morning, left three firefighters injured. All three were dodging the fall of a massive tree that had been weakened by the fire.
The trees that grow in Corralitos are tall and majestic, but dangerous when battling a fire in pitch black conditions.
“It’s terrifying. At any given moment, on fires like this, especially when you’re in the timber, it could be that potential of a tree that has been fire weakened. You try to keep your senses very aware of that and listen up for it,” said CalFire Unit Chief, Ian Larkin.
All three that were injured are now in stable condition.
Nicholas Yeager, who specializes in chopping down massive trees during fires, takes today’s incident seriously. “If trees come down from a distance away and reach out a hundred feet, and you can’t see it, you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a lot of potential for people to get hurt,” said Yeager.
While risk still stands, firefighters continue to clean up after the fire. The cause is not know, but Cal Fire said they are looking into a possible nearby party, described as a “rave.” They also said a van was parked at the site, when crews arrived, although no one was found inside.
UPDATE 11/18/2018 12:14 p.m. The two firefighters injured in a Sunday morning vegetation fire are in stable condition.
Cal Fire says their injuries are non-life threatening and they should be released from the hospital soon.
They were hurt while trying to escape from a falling tree.
The fire burning in the area of Eureka Canyon near Buzzard Lagoon road is still at less than 2 acres and 50% contained.
Crews are still at the scene.
PREVIOUS STORY: Two firefighters were injured while responding to a vegetation fire early Sunday morning in Santa Cruz County.
It happened when they were hit by a falling tree.
Both were treated by paramedics at the scene and taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
The fire burned less than two acres in the Eureka Canyon near Buzzard Lagoon Road.
As of 9 a.m. Sunday, the fire is 50% contained, and the cause is under investigation.
Crews are staying at the scene to keep containment lines.
