The Gloria Fire east of Soledad that burned about 6,500 acres
was fully contained as of this morning while narrowly missing the
western edge of Pinnacles National Monument, a Calfire division
chief said. The fire started Thursday outside Soledad west of San
Benito County.
HOLLISTER
The Gloria Fire east of Soledad that burned about 6,500 acres was fully contained as of this morning while narrowly missing the western edge of Pinnacles National Monument, a Calfire division chief said.
The fire started Thursday outside Soledad west of San Benito County. It led to evacuations for the areas of Highway 146, Bryant Canyon Road and Stonewall Canyon Road, along with the closure of the western side of Pinnacles. But those areas had been deemed safe by later Saturday when weather conditions started to ease up.
“Basically, there are going to be a number of resources that will continue to monitor the fire and control any hot spots,” said David Shew, a Calfire division chief in the Napa area, while adding that most of the nearly 1,100 personnel fighting the fire would be reassigned or sent home.
Shew said weather played a role, as high heat and wind expanded the fire in the first couple of days. Over the weekend, there was higher humidity and cooler temperatures in the evenings that helped crews control it, he said.
He noted how at higher elevations, there was less of a drop in humidity or temperatures, making it especially difficult in those areas.
“The winds wanted to push it in various locations,” Shew said. “However, the firefighters were able to keep it controlled in its containment line.”
See the full story in the Free Lance on Tuesday.
