BONNY DOON — Cars and trucks streamed out of Empire Grade Road near McDermott Station as more than 2,000 residents here followed mandatory evacuation orders this afternoon.
Cal Fire called for voluntary evacuations about a dozen hours after the Lockheed Fire broke out Wednesday night in the Santa Cruz Mountains, followed by more stringent orders in the late morning.
Some folks, like John Grucci, who rents a home on Empire Grade Road, left work before noon today, calling his friends to help him.
“I’m packing anything remotely valuable and getting out of here,” he said, while he loaded up a pickup at his house. “First thing I grabbed were my photos and my big hard drive. I’ll leave behind furniture and anything I can replace.”
Down the road at Pine Flat Road, Lisa Sheridan of Soquel parked her horse trailer with two rescued goats inside and offered to take livestock to an evacuation center.
“Last year, I showed up and hauled two blind horses out of here,” she said. “I’ll be here as long as I can, in case anyone needs me.”
Last year’s 600-acre Bonny Doon/Martin Fire in June 2008 didn’t deter Colleen Dwer, who lives off Pine Flat and Empire Grade roads. She didn’t leave home then — and she doesn’t plan to leave home for this fire, either.
“We hunkered down,” she said, as she sat near the road with her son and father to watch the fire engines. “We’re lucky here, because we have redwoods and oaks all around. We don’t have all that dry stuff.”
But Jason Badgley, a teacher at San Lorenzo Valley High School, wasn’t as optimistic, as he watered down his roof on Empire Grade Road.
“We’re staying for now,” he said, “but we’ve seen deer coming up out of the woods to cross the road, and that’s an indication the fire may be headed this way. That makes it more real for us.”
He said he hadn’t seen much smoke except in the distance, but depending on the winds, that could change quickly. And if it did, there’d be plenty to feed any fire in the area, he said.
“The forest is overloaded,” he said. “It’s a tinderbox. There’s no seasonal burning, and the forest is littered with fallen trees. It’s ready to go.”
At a glance
• The American Red Cross has set up an evacuation shelter at Vintage Faith Church, 350 Mission St., in Santa Cruz.
• Horses and other livestock may be taken to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., in Watsonville. As of Thursday afternoon, eight horses, seven goats, three sheep and a pot-bellied pig had taken refuge there.
• Smaller animals may be taken to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, 2200 Seventh Ave., in Santa Cruz.
• For information: www.bonnydoonfire.com
