The Brown Fire, which burned 3,780 acres near Panoche Road this
weekend, is 80 percent contained and expected to be completely put
out by today, said firefighter Adam Torgrimson of Cal Fire on
Monday.
The blaze was caused when a lighting strike ignited dry
vegetation between Hollister and Interstate 5 on Saturday. No
buildings or homes had been burned in the fire, and no injuries
were reported, Torgrimson said.
The Brown Fire, which burned 3,780 acres near Panoche Road this weekend, is 80 percent contained and expected to be completely put out by today, said firefighter Adam Torgrimson of Cal Fire on Monday.
The blaze was caused when a lighting strike ignited dry vegetation between Hollister and Interstate 5 on Saturday. No buildings or homes had been burned in the fire, and no injuries were reported, Torgrimson said.
“The weather caught everyone off guard,” he said. “We only had about four hours’ notice before the storm came in. Anytime you’ve got dry lightning with little precipitation, it can cause havoc.”
Crews from Cal Fire, the California Bureau of Land Management and the San Benito County Fire Department made up more than 100 firefighters and support personnel over the weekend. On Monday, those numbers dropped to around 20 people.
According to the Cal fire Web site, lightning caused 394 fires in Northern California over the weekend and burned more than 14,000 acres.
Torgrimson said anyone outside during a lightning storm should immediately get indoors or inside a vehicle.
“If you’re in a house or a vehicle, the (lightning) current is grounded and your much safer,” he said. “If you find yourself outdoors near a fire, get away from the flames as fast as possible. If you can’t get away, look for a clearing with as little vegetation as possible.”
