Out of control wildfire still burns in central California

Hundreds of people evacuated from their homes were anxiously waiting Friday to be let back into their neighborhoods while frustrated firefighters battled a fast-moving wildfire burning in a central California mountain range.

About 1,400 homes were under evacuation orders — 336 of them mandatory — as the fire continued to grow despite more than 65 engines, 500 firefighters and a swarm of tanker planes and helicopters dousing the area. Some residents were taken to an evacuation center set up by the Red Cross in Watsonville.

By Thursday evening, fire officials said the blaze was 15 percent contained. It had already charred at least 12 structures and more than 4 square miles.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency for Santa Cruz County. No injuries have been reported.

The fire is in a mountain range that separates Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, a rural area about 15 miles south of San Jose that is dotted with homes.

Officials said that of the 12 structures destroyed, at least two were homes. Three schools in the area closed because of the fire, officials said.

Heavy brush and timber and winds gusting up to 50 mph were complicating efforts to fight the blaze, and officials hoped lighter winds Friday would aid firefighting efforts. Still, officials estimated the fire would burn more than 15 square miles before being contained.

"The fuels are very heavy and dry from a pretty mild winter. With that wind added in as a factor, it's a pretty good recipe for fire," said Battalion Chief Mike Marcucci.

Officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

A wind-whipped wildfire burning out of control in central California mountains destroyed buildings and threatened several rural homes Thursday morning, closing schools and prompting some evacuations.

The blaze in the Santa Cruz Mountains, first reported around 5:30 a.m., had grown to more than 1,700 acres by midmorning and was completely uncontained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire is in the mountain range that separates Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, and the area is dotted with homes. At least 20 homes were threatened by the blaze, said Chris Morgan, a state fire prevention specialist.

"Our main priority is evacuations, getting people out safely," Morgan said. "Then we can start working the perimeter of the fire."

Several structures were destroyed by the flames, and at least three schools in the area closed their doors Thursday because of the fire. No injuries have been reported.

Hundreds of firefighters were on the scene and hundreds more were on the way. Heavy brush and timber and winds gusting up to 40 mph were complicating efforts to fight the blaze, officials said.

"The fuels are very heavy and dry from a pretty mild winter. With that wind added in as a factor, it's a pretty good recipe for fire," said Battalion Chief Mike Marcucci.