Pond Fire reaches 90% containment as worker at base camp tests positive for COVID-19
A vegetation fire east of Santa Margarita was 90% contained as of Wednesday morning.
The Pond Fire, which started Saturday afternoon, has burned a total of 1,962 acres, according to field observer mapping of the fire’s perimeter.
As of Wednesday, one house and 13 outbuildings were destroyed and another house was damaged, Cal Fire said. Two hundred structures remained threatened.
All evacuation warnings have lifted, although Huer Huero Road remained closed from Highway 58 to Random Canyon, according to Cal Fire.
In addition to battling the fire, firefighters are also now dealing with coronavirus.
One of the kitchen crew members assigned to the Pond Fire base camp tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Cal Fire news release.
The worker is asymptomatic and was not at the base camp when they tested positive, Cal Fire said.
According to the release, the employee’s module has been quarantined out of precaution.
Cal Fire said it believes the virus will likely not spread among other crew members because of the precautions taken at basecamps this fire season to avoid a coronavirus outbreak.
“We are confident this is an isolated case because the individual had no close contact with fire line personnel,” the release read.
Cal Fire said it is working closely with the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department and will continue to monitor kitchen workers until the fire is 100% contained.
Full containment is expected by Saturday, according to Cal Fire.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 10:30 AM.
