GILROY
– The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is
expecting the 200-acre blaze deep inside Henry W. Coe State Park to
be fully controlled by this evening.
High humidity and low winds have allowed the firefighters to
keep the fire at bay the past two days, even though the area
burning is so remote, firefighters are being dropped into the
forest by helicopters due to lack of roads.
GILROY – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is expecting the 200-acre blaze deep inside Henry W. Coe State Park to be fully controlled by this evening.
High humidity and low winds have allowed the firefighters to keep the fire at bay the past two days, even though the area burning is so remote, firefighters are being dropped into the forest by helicopters due to lack of roads.
The CDF has the 550 firefighting personnel battling the blaze stationed at Christmas Hill Park. All eight helicopters and three air tankers fighting the flames are using the South County Airport as a base.
“This area is very remote,” said Jason Estes, an acting spokesperson for the CDF. “We’ve only been able to get two engines back there.”
Located in the Stanislaus County portion of the park one mile east of Mississippi Lake, the lightning-sparked fire is not threatening any homes or structures, and no injuries have been reported from the fire, Estes said.
A fire near that area burned more than 1,500 acres in late July.
The amount of money the City of Gilroy will charge the CDF for the use of Christmas Hill Park could not be obtained by press time.
