Soledad fire nears full containment after threatening several homes
SOLEDAD, Calif. (KION)
UPDATE 5/25/20 9:51 a.m. A Cal Fire engine will conduct a patrol looking for hotspots following a fire that burned just over 33 acres east of Soledad.
40 firefighters battled the flames that charred dry grass and brush. Several homes were threatened and a temporary evacuation order was issued for those homes, but that order has been lifted. Full containment is expected later today.
UPDATE 05/24/20 10:30 p.m. An estimated 40 acres east of Soledad in the hills off of Fabry Road are smoldering Sunday night after a fire erupted.
Forward progress has been stopped, according to Cal Fire. By late Sunday evening, crews had already contained at least 70 percent of the fire.
The Metz Fire started at around 1 p.m., where flames threatened two homes.
"The fire started in the valley of the canyon and kind of worked its way up, wind-driven up to the ridge line," said Jason Luckenbach, a Cal Fire battalion chief.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office evacuated some residents, who already returned home by about 7 p.m.
According to Cal Fire, the fire started while one property owner was mowing grass. The tractor-mower's blade struck a rock, causing a spark that ignited the flames.
"Wind and topography contributed to the fire. The grass is now cured. So it will sustain fire very easily," said Luckenbach.
Fire officials say this is probably the biggest fire they have seen so far this year. There is a good grass crop this season, however. The COVID-19 pandemic also has not degraded the fire suppression capabilities of Cal Fire so far. But they are bracing for whatever lies ahead.
"It's hard to tell what the season outlook is, but I can tell you we're definitely in the fire season," said Luckenbach.
Cal Fire crews will stay out at the scene until after midnight to make sure the fire is fully controlled. No one was injured and no structures were damaged during the fire.
UPDATE 5:30 p.m. Crews are out near Fabry Road and Highway 146 working to make sure the fire is fully controlled. Cal Fire said a tractor sparked the fire.
Cal fire said multiple callers reported the fire out in grass which started around 1 p.m.
Fire crews stopped forward progress of the fire at about 40 acres Sunday afternoon.
The fire was 70 contained as of 4:16 pm tonight.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Cal fire says investigators are at the scene.
At one point Sunday afternoon, structures were threatened and some buildings were evacuated but Cal Fire said the fire there is no persisting threat to the structures anymore. No structures were burnt.
CAL FIRE says crews will be out here until midnight or 1 a.m. They'll be working on mopping up fire and making sure it's fully controlled late into the evening.
KION's Josh Kristianto will have a report with more details on KION News at 10 and 11 p.m.
PREVIOUS STORY:
A fire burning east of Soledad is threatening structures and prompting evacuations, according to CAL FIRE's Public Affairs Bureau for San Benito and Monterey Counties.
They took to Twitter to post the news, writing that the fire was about 40 acres and 40 percent contained as of 2:36 p.m.
CAL FIRE said evacuations are in progress. They are calling this the Metz Fire.
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
