Residents worry about ‘high’ fire danger in the mountains

The wildfires raging up and down California serve as a deadly reminder that large portions of Santa Clara County are susceptible to wildfires, including the Santa Cruz Mountains, where Smokey the Bear signs warned Tuesday of “high” fire danger.

Watching the state burn is a “little nerve-wracking,” Santa Cruz Mountains native Ben Abeln said.

Abeln manages the Summit Store that’s off Highway 17 on Summit Road. It’s a community hub where mountain residents often go to exchange news.

Cal Fire firefighters stop by regularly, too, and Abeln says the news they’re bringing is worrisome.

“They’re saying the same thing everyone’s saying — that it’s really dry and it seems more dry than it’s ever been,” Abeln said.

Abeln is particularly worried about PG&E’s new policy that says the utility will cut off power in areas that are threatened by wildfires, so he’s getting a 125-kilowatt generator for the store.

“We also have a 50,000-gallon water tank that Cal Fire can tap into if they need to borrow some water,” he said.

Abeln has laid in supplies of water and Gatorade and recalled making “a bunch of Gatorade runs for firefighters during the Loma fire two years ago.”

The September 2016 Loma fire near Morgan Hill burned nearly 4,500 acres, and destroyed 12 homes and 16 outbuildings.

Dozens of horses and farm animals were rescued from the Loma fire flames, which weighs heavily on Pam Ashford’s mind since she’s the manager of Bear Creek Stables on Bear Creek Road.

The 70 horses that board there will be “sheltered in place” if fire strikes and there’s no time to evacuate, Ashford said.

“We can’t leave them in their individual paddocks because they could burn,” she said. “So, we’ve built fencing around 5 or 6 acres and we’ll turn them loose. They have a much better chance of surviving if they’re free to move about the stable.”

Even so, Ashford says the idea of sheltering the horses in place “terrifies” her.

The decision was made after consultations with Cal Fire, Santa Clara County firefighters and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

The stables are on Midpeninsula property, so the district has “helped us out with additional water sources,” Ashford said.

The open space district is responsible for 63,000 acres that stretch from Mount Umunhum south of San Jose to Half Moon Bay.

“Our rangers just completed fire training in the field,” spokeswoman Leigh Ann Gessner said. “We put water tanks and fire hoses on all our trucks because our rangers are often first responders who stay until Cal Fire can get on the scene.”

Midpeninsula rangers have spent much of this summer maintaining fire breaks and roads, and they’ve stepped up “no smoking” and “no fire” warnings to remind visitors of the potential danger.

By now, mountain residents should have already created defensible spaces around their homes by clearing out weeds and flammable debris — it’s the best way to protect structures, the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council says.

Mason-Taylor Ranch caretaker Roberto Zepeda has done the clearing, but he hasn’t followed the recommendation that mountain residents keep a bag packed with clothes and important documents.

“What are you going to do,” Zepeda asked. “You get out with the clothes on your back. If I have a chance I’ll take something.”

Back at the Summit Store, Abeln plans to “get down on my knees at the first sign of rain,” while Bear Creek’s Ashford takes solace watching Cal Fire crews “practice water drops at Lexington Reservoir.”