Crime & Safety

Update: Shed, 4 Boats, 3 Cars Destroyed in Prunedale Brush Fire

A polling place, a school and more than 20 homes were evacuated when the blaze broke out Tuesday afternoon.

Update, 8:30 a.m. Tuesday: The cause of a fire that force evacuations of about 20 homes, a school and a polling place in Prunedale Tuesday afternoon remains under investigation, authorities reported Wednesday.

The fire, near Manzanita Park, destroyed one outbuilding with contents inside, four boats and three vehicles. It apparently began as a shed fire, then spread into the surrounding wildland.

Firefighters held the blaze to about 10 acres, and monitored the fire overnight, according to Cal Fire.

Find out what's happening in Watsonvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Original Story:

A brush fire burning in Manzanita Park outside of Prunedale threatened about 30 houses Tuesday afternoon, Cal Fire Capt. Eddie Moore said.

Find out what's happening in Watsonvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Smoke from the fire, near Frisch Road about 11 miles southeast of Watsonville, was visible throughout the Pajaro Valley and across the Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz.

The fire was burning eucalyptus and brush, Moore said. Residents of 22-25 homes in the area chose to voluntarily evacuate as fire crews battled the flames. The fire began as a structure fire when an outbuilding burned around 1:45 p.m., according to KSBW.

"The fire is currently holding," Moore said around 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Three air tankers, an air attack plane, two hand crews and six fire engines were fighting the fire Tuesday afternoon, and two helicopters were en route, Moore said.

KSBW also reported that a school and a polling center were evacuated because of the fire.

The evacuated voting site is located at American Legion Hall, 8300 Prunedale North Road. Voters who were supposed to vote at that location can vote at a new location: Prunedale Grange Hall, 17890 Moro Road, Prunedale, election officials advised

The wildfire is not related to a 1,000-acre controlled burn outside Salinas in North Monterey County, Moore noted.

—Bay City News contributed to this report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.