Fire breaks out in Santa Cruz Mountains; homes threatened
A fire that started Monday afternoon in the Santa Cruz Mountains is spreading rapidly and has claimed at least one structure, while threatening hundreds of others, authorities and local media reported.
The Loma fire began at about 3 p.m., near Loma Prieta Road and Loma Chiquita Road, about 10 miles northwest of Morgan Hill, in the mountains north of Santa Cruz, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. By 5:30 p.m., 400 acres had burned and a mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke and cinders arched into the sky.
Video footage showed flames moving toward a large, gabled home along a ridge line. Water-dropping aircraft were trying to save the structure.
Nearby, helicopters dropped red fire retardant, trying to save a bank of transmission towers.
Triple-digit temperatures and low humidity in the area contributed to the dangerous conditions.
Twitter: @howardblume
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