Update: Pond Fire grows to 1,700 acres, 55% containment
Update 8:25 p.m.
The Pond Fire east of Santa Margarita and south of Highway 58 was 55% contained and 1,700 acres as of Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire.
Despite hot temperatures and steady winds throughout the day, firefighters were able to establish effective fire containment lines and stop much of the fire’s forward progress, Cal Fire public information officer Adan Orozco said.
Cal Fire has lifted the evacuation warning for residents south of Las Pilitas Road, west of Parkhill Road to Pozo Road, north and east of West Pozo Road to Highway 58. The agency has also modified its evacuation order to an evacuation warning for those located south of Highway 58, west of Huer Huero Road, north of Las Pilitas Road and east of Pozo Road.
An updated evacuation map is expected to be released Sunday night.
Power has been restored to those experiencing outages in the area due to downed power lines, Orozco said. However, the transmission lines running from the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant to the central valley are still under threat as of Sunday evening, he said.
Because of the added containment, only 200 structures are under threat as of Sunday evening compared to 450 earlier in the day, Orozco said. No additional structures have been damaged.
Cal Fire and county officials will survey the area tomorrow morning to provide additional details about the two structures destroyed in the fire, Orozco said.
Original Story:
The Pond Fire east of Santa Margarita and south of Highway 58 burned an additional 40 acres throughout Saturday night and into Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire.
The now 1,550-acre blaze was 10% contained as of Sunday morning, the agency said.
A cool, humid Sunday morning with slow winds slowed the fire’s forward progress, Cal Fire public information officer Adan Orozco said.
However, as temperatures and winds pick up throughout Sunday, Orozco said firefighters from Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service are expecting the fire to gain speed again.
Two structures had been destroyed as of Sunday morning, with 450 threatened, according to Orozco. It is unclear whether those were residential structures.
Huer Huero Road was closed Sunday between Highway 58 and Parkhill Road.
Local residents located south of Highway 58, west of Huer Huero Road, north of Las Pilitas Road and east of Pozo Road were directed to leave immediately. Those located south of Las Pilitas Road, west of Park Hill Road to east Pozo Road, and north and east of Pozo Road to Highway 58, were advised to evacuate and should be prepared to leave.
Evacuees in need of assistance were directed Sunday to go to Santa Margarita Elementary School.
If needed, an evacuation center is set up at the Santa Margarita Elementary School, and those needing livestock evacuation help can call Horse Emergency Evacuation Team at 805-550-0213.
Some power lines were down Sunday and the power was out in the area, Orozco said, but a greater concern is larger powerlines south of the fire that connect the central valley to the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.
“We’re trying to stop the fire before it gets there,” Orozco said.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, Orozco said. The fire was identified as a structure fire near Katacreek and Golden Pond roads on Pulse Point.
Because some of the fire is burning in the Los Padres National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service was on scene to help fight the blaze with Cal Fire. There were nearly 350 personnel fighting the fire on Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire.
This story was originally published August 2, 2020 at 10:38 AM.
