Wildfires are becoming more common in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz, California is a beautiful costal town. It sits at the northern end of Monterey Bay. Much of Santa Cruz’s beauty is derived from its proximity to the ancient Redwood forests of the Santa Cruz mountains.
As droughts become more frequent and longer lasting, the risk for wildfire increases. Coupled with the push of communities into previously forested areas and the setting is ripe for a potential disaster.
Unfortunately, in 2020 that disaster struck in the form of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. The CZU Complex fire burned over 86,000 acres, including much of the famous Henry Cowell redwood forest. It consumed more than 900 homes and displaced more than 1000 people from the communities surrounding Santa Cruz.
The CZU Complex fires were not the first fires in our area and they won’t be the last. Those of us living at a Wildland Urban Interface bear the responsibility to prepare our homes and property for a potential wildfire.
How might wildfire affect our neighborhood?
Evergreen Cemetery Ravine & Harvey West Park
Due to occasional high winds from northeast, fire can originate in Harvey West, or cross the lower San Lorenzo valley into Harvey West, then climb up to the eastern end of Highland via the ravine from the Evergreen cemetery , or farther west up the slope to Highland, Sheldon, and Meadows.
Pogonip
In past years, fires have originated in UCSC and Pogonip. Through most of the fire season, the prevailing winds come from the west, and the northwest. This weather can carry fire either directly from, or via these two areas into the entirety of our neighborhood as we saw with the CZU fires.
Lower High Street
Along lower Highland where it intersects with lower High Street uphill from the street, there are pockets of forest or empty lots where homeless frequently take up residence. The danger is that fires which start from these encampments may travel uphill into areas across our neighborhood.
You can help us protect our homes from fire!
Help us clear the debris tossed into Evergreen Cemetery Ravine to get it ready for the Goats! After the Goats do their work, eating the dried vegetation and the ivy on the lower limbs of trees, HELP US plant Fire resistant landscaping.
Let us know if you are interested in helping our with any of our projects!