Six-alarm fire in steep canyons spurs evacuations in Pacifica

A fast-moving fire in Pacifica south of San Francisco triggered a six-alarm response from local firefighters and local evacuations, authorities said Monday.

About 90 homes were evacuated as the flames crept toward canyon homes, said North County Fire Authority spokesman Clyde Preston. The blaze was challenging because of the steep canyons, thick brush and 15 mph winds that pushed it toward residents, Preston said.

The fire broke out in vegetation on the edge of a state game refuge in Pacifica about 3:30 a.m.

The San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services initiated a reverse-911 call to about 500 homes about 6:30 a.m. and told them that there were voluntary evacuations and a shelter had been set up, said EOS district coordinator Steve Mahaley.

Residents of about 90 homes heeded the warning and were holed up in the county’s shelter, he said.

Meanwhile, crews fought to extinguish the flames. The fire was ultimately contained before 8 a.m. and was limited to about five acres, he said. The cause is under investigation.

County firefighters were going to spend most of the day “mopping up” the blaze, Mahaley said. There were no reported injuries and a cause for the blaze was being investigated.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection sent crews to assist in the fight, the agency said in a tweet.

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