The CZU Lightning Complex Fire burn scar in Santa Cruz County in 2020. (NASA)

Emergency resource fair in Aptos

  • The UC Santa Cruz Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies and the County of Santa Cruz’s Long Term Recovery Group will host an emergency resource fair.
  • 12-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Aptos Community Center, 100 Aptos Creek Road.
  • Find information, support and resources from local and state organizations focused on disaster preparedness, housing, tenants’ rights and fire and flood recovery. There will be free food, crafts and games for kids.

SANTA CRUZ >> As wildfires rage in Southern California, Santa Cruz County officials are urging residents to prepare for the possibility of a destructive wildfire here — even in urban areas. 

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With about 6 inches of rain since October in Santa Cruz, precipitation is about half the seasonal average but enough to keep trees and soils damp. Wildfire risk is relatively low. 

But if more rain doesn’t come in the next month and recent windy conditions keep up, Santa Cruz County could be headed toward “red flag warnings” for high fire risk, said Dave Reid, director of Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience.

The City of Santa Cruz has received about 6 inches of rain since October, roughly half the seasonal average. Above average rain fell in 2023 and 2024. (City of Santa Cruz)

Much of the risk is concentrated in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but wildfire could also spread into urban areas, Reid said. “Under the wrong conditions, our whole county all the way down to the ocean’s edge — as we saw in Southern California and in Maui — is vulnerable,” he said.

Although Santa Cruz County doesn’t get the intense Santa Ana winds that are supercharging fires in Southern California, our own “Diablo winds” can act similarly, said Jed Wilson, Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit chief. “These extreme wind events, when coupled with any fire starts, can create a catastrophic outcome,” Wilson said.

“There’s not a lot that fire agencies can do to stop a fire when it’s driven by 30, 40, 50, 70, 100 mph winds,” Reid said.

Wind can carry embers of redwood bark and other materials across roads and into neighborhoods and “create a much higher scale of devastation,” Reid said. “What makes our community beautiful, in the adjacency to open space and forested lands and our redwoods, also makes us very vulnerable.”

Despite the risks, Wilson said the county is more prepared for fire than it was before the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020. The blaze destroyed about 1,000 structures, of which 697 were single-family homes, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire has stronger relationships and more coordination with local fire agencies and the nonprofit Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County, he said.

And in recent years, Cal Fire and other agencies have stepped up fuel reduction efforts, including prescribed burns and shaded fuel breaks, he said.

Cal Fire has sent several crews and fire engines to assist in Southern California firefighting efforts. Enough crews stayed behind to cover the amount of local fire risk, Wilson said. If that risk rises, leaders could consider pulling some crews and engines back.

On Sunday, Feb. 2, the County of Santa Cruz’s Long Term Recovery Group and the UC Santa Cruz Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies plan to hold an emergency preparedness resource fair for the Aptos Hills, Soquel Hills, Corralitos, Summit, and Scotts Valley. The event is set to include information on emergency preparedness and recovery, a free clinic and activities for children.

How to prepare for wildfire in Santa Cruz County

Reid and Wilson said now is the time to prepare for the next wildfire. They recommend that Santa Cruz County residents:

  • Register with Santa Cruz County’s emergency notification system CruzAware to receive texts, emails or calls about emergencies and evacuations.
  • Create a go-bag and evacuation plan, and consider keeping multiple forms of communication (such as radios or landlines) in case cellphone service goes down.
  • Create defensible space by moving flammable material away from homes. Urban residents should prioritize removing flammable items, including wooden fences, within five feet of their home. Wilson also recommends clearing overhanging trees from roads to ensure fire engines aren’t blocked.
  • Harden homes to be more fire-resistant. Potential upgrades include fire-rated roofs, dual- or multi-paned windows and metal chimney screens.
  • Join or create a neighborhood Firewise community to coordinate on fuel reduction and emergency preparedness. See local groups and learn more by emailing [email protected].

Emergency notification

  • Police in Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville and Scotts Valley and some fire departments send Nixle text alerts to registrants during emergencies.
  • UC Santa Cruz students, faculty and staff can receive emergency alerts from campus officials in its SlugSafe system.

Track fires and fire weather

  • The Cal Fire incident report website has updates on fires and evacuations. Wilson cautioned that other websites or apps may not have up-to-date or verified information.
  • Watch Duty is a cellphone app operated by a nonprofit that includes maps of fires, wind velocity, evacuation zones and air quality.
  • The Smoke Spotter app from the California Air Resources Board has maps of prescribed burns and smoke forecasts.
  • A National Weather Service map includes areas with fire weather warnings.

Emergency preparedness

  • Prepared, Not Scared checklist from the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County.
  • Prepare Your Family resource guide from Cal Fire. Includes strategies for seniors, people with disabilities, and parents of young children.

Home hardening

  • Home Hardening information from the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County.
  • Hardening your home guide from Cal Fire.
  • ReCoverCA grants from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. A grant to rebuild homes destroyed in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire with home hardening measures is accepting applications. A separate grant for Santa Cruz County residents in high-risk fire zones to do home hardening or create defensible space has a waitlist.

Defensible space and fuel reduction

Smoke from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire was visible from San Mateo County in August 2020. (Jan Null) 

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Reporter / California Local News Fellow |  + posts

Jesse Kathan is a staff reporter for Santa Cruz Local through the California Local News Fellowship. They hold a master's degree in science communications from UC Santa Cruz.