[Jorgemonkey]

From NBC11:
http://www.nbc11.com/news/16668300/detail.html?dl=mainclick

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Highway 1 is closed in both directions near Watsonville after three separate firs started, CHP officials said Friday.

Officials said the fire was burning at Larkin Valley Road at Highway 1.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention reported that helicopter crews were dropping water on the flames.

Flames were going 100 feet into the air as they burned through Eucalyptus groves, crews said.

The fire burned in close proximity to homes. Our NBC station in Monterey, KSBW, said crews were starting to evacuate homes north of the airport in Watsonville.

Randy Cookman called NB11 from his home in Capitola where he said he could see a huge black plume of smoke going up.

 

[Acadian]

saw that earlier...I could easily see the smoke from the window of my office

doesn't look as bad right now tho..

 

[TheMachinist]

I watched it from the roof of my shop as I stood ready with a hose in case any of the falling leaves and debris were still smoldering. Messed up traffic bad.
It seems that it was likely arson. Some people reported seeing somebody setting the fires on the side of the road and they called 911. I think I would have called my front bumper to his knees.:madmax:

 

[kc929]

This is so sad. So many people and animals affected by this. If this was arson...I don't even know what to say.:madman: I can't understand how people can witness someone setting fires and not do something about. These days people just don't want to get involved. People suck.

 

[cmon4day]

Just found out that my friends house is one of the homes that was destroyed. Lost everything, including some animals. This really sucks.

 

[2clue]

i dont get why some people would purposely try and start a huge fire, do they like black chard feilds or something? crazy emo people(no offense jst making a joke).

 

[Skyline35]

I took this photo at Coe Headquarters Friday afternoon ~5:30pm. The smoke on the horizon must have been from the Watsonville fire.

///Charlie

 

[sciencegeek]

I was in Wilder today ... you could see the gigantic plume of the Indian fire. It's probably 80 miles as the crow flies, ¿no? There was also a smaller one closer by. It's possible that the big plume you saw from Coe was Indian, not Watsonville ... looks like it may be too far South to be Watsonville?

 

[Jorgemonkey]

I took this photo at Coe Headquarters Friday afternoon ~5:30pm. The smoke on the horizon must have been from the Watsonville fire.

///Charlie

Thats one black cloud in the top right corner!

 

[Skyline35]

Thats one black cloud in the top right corner!

Alright, I'm busted-I was shading the lens with my hand!

Saturday afternoon there were surprise thunder showers in the Coe/Gilroy area. Some of the lightning strikes started a couple fires west of Gilroy:
http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/245994-fresh-troops-arrive-to-battle-blazes-no-homes-lost

///Charlie

 

[J]

Speaking of fires, the side of the hill in Brisbane / San Bruno near 101 is on fire right now.

 

[audi0phile]

Speaking of fires, the side of the hill in Brisbane / San Bruno near 101 is on fire right now.

I come home from a week long vacation in Oregon (no fires this time) and California is on fire? WTF?

 

[JTeezy]

tell me about it!!!

i'm from the valley and was in santa cruz to get away this weekend...

i was sitting on manresa beach thur afternoon...

rode thru wilder and up around the UCSC stuff early fri...

all i wanted to do before i went home was go back to manresa beach for a while...

the fire killed that idea and i got stuck in the traffic...

i heard it was arson.