One person is dead after a fire broke out in the Lockhart Gulch area of Scotts Valley last night.
Around 9:30pm, Scotts Valley Fire Protection District firefighters were dispatched to the location, to check on a smoke report, and while en route, the call was updated to reflect a possible wildfire.
The reports pinpointed various possible locations, including near the Skypark residential community, Geyer Road, Mission Springs and Nelson Road.
Crews eventually spotted the fire within the 200 block of Nelson Road.
“The location of the incident was at the end of a long and narrow private road, and off the hydrant water system,” an SVFD spokesperson said in a release, noting firefighters saw a fully-engulfed small structure with a single wall still standing. “Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and were notified that the sole occupant may not have escaped.”
The victim was located inside the remaining structure, at 10:45pm.
Fire and law enforcement crews continued to mop-up throughout the night, and at daybreak, fire investigators began to comb through the scene.
Once that work had been completed, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office came and got the victim’s body.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The victim has been identified as Jonathan Lange, 66, of Scotts Valley.
Officials said 30 emergency personnel responded from Scotts Valley, Cal Fire, Felton and Zayante fire departments, AMR Ambulance, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol. None of them were injured.
“This tragic incident is a good reminder to check your smoke detectors in your home to make sure they are functional,” the SVFD spokesperson said. “Because of the damage from the fire, it is unclear if the home had them at the time of the fire.”
Fire officials also note that having defensible spaces around your residence can reduce the spread of fire.
“Because of the remote location of this home,” the spokesperson said, “this fire may have caused a significant wildland fire had it occurred during the summer high-fire-danger months.”
