28 acres burnt after Panoche Fire in San Benito County

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April 21, 2025 9:13 PM

Published April 21, 2025 12:39 PM

PAICINES, Calif. (KION-TV) -- A fire broke out in the afternoon on Easter Sunday in eastern San Benito County, growing from 10 to nearly 29 acres before being contained.

The fire, dubbed the Panoche Fire, broke out on Panoche and Little Panoche Road in Paicines around 4:01 p.m.

Crews worked to contain the fire from the ground and the air with CAL FIRE BEU and Hollister Fire working alongside one another.

A view from above at the Panoche Fire as crews do their best to contain it on the ground and in the air. Courtesy: CAL FIRE BEU

Forward progress on the fire was stopped at 28.9 acres, with crews saying on the ground to extinguish hotspots.

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Sergio Berrueta

Sergio Berrueta has been in the news for quite awhile going from studying print media to entering the realm of broadcast.

Originally from Bell Gardens, California, in Southeast Los Angeles. Berrueta started his professional news career in Eureka as a newscast producer for North Coast News (now The Northstate’s News) at KAEF ABC 23 in 2022. He pivoted a year later in 2022 going from behind-the-scenes to in front of the camera as a multimedia journalist for Redwood News Channel 3 (KIEM/KVIQ) also in Eureka.

Berrueta studied journalism at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) earning his Bachelor’s Degree. Berrueta was a staff writer, page editor, social media manager and editor-in-chief of the university’s El Lenador, the only bilingual publication in all of Humboldt County.

Before moving to the North Coast, Berrueta had earned his Associate’s Degree at East Los Angeles College in 2019 after beginning his educational journey in 2012. He also was on staff for the ELAC’s publication, ELAC Campus News, having been a staff writer, page editor, and online editor.

Outside of news experience, Berrueta has also been in education as an AmeriCorps tutor in East Hollywood from 2017 to 2019 and served in a government role as a National Hometown Fellow for Lead for America with the City of Arcata in 2021.

When not focusing on news, Berrueta is an avid amateur cinephile having written about films in free time. He also writes poetry, attempting to get through a backlog of video games, enjoys visiting new places along the California Coast, and trying to keep up with the latest music and podcasts.