Fire razes Bonny Doon dwelling

A house fire destroyed a 400-square-foot home on Bertoli Drive in Bonny Doon on Sunday night.
The park-model trailer — a temporary dwelling for Bob and Zinnia Hinde while plans are in the works for a new house to be built on the property — burned to the ground.
The fire began at about 8:50 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, while the Hindes ate dinner inside the home of Bob Hinde’s son, Aaron Hinde, a chiropractor in Scotts Valley and an elected member of the Santa Cruz County Board of Education. Aaron’s home stands on the same lot as the park-model trailer.
Three Cal Fire engines, two Santa Cruz County engines, a water tender from Boulder Creek Fire and backup crews from Felton worked to douse the blaze.
The flames were kept from spreading by fire crews and the substantial defensible space around the dwelling, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Michael Borelli said.
The cause of the fire had not been released as of Tuesday, Aug. 10.
“It’s still under investigation,” Borelli said.
Aaron Hinde said his brother, Michael, saw smoke coming from the house when he went upstairs to the bathroom. Michael then yelled at the top of his lungs, and the family ran outside.
When Aaron Hinde first ran into the house, he saw fire coming from an electrical outlet and guessed it was a faulty plug that started the fire.
The three men, Aaron, Michael and their father, Bob, all grabbed hoses and sprayed the trailer until fire crews arrived.
No one was hurt, but Aaron Hinde said his mother’s photo albums and many belongings were lost.
“Thirty-five years of memories are gone,” Aaron Hinde said.
Also lost were all of Michael Hinde’s things. Michael recently returned from Afghanistan, where he had spent time as part of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Aaron Hinde said the family lost all its tools, including chainsaws used to work the land. However, he was relieved no one was hurt.
“An hour later and it could have been a lot worse,” he said.
Aaron Hinde noted that the community has been supportive, and he said he knows the family will bounce back.
“We’re a resilient family,” he said.