The Quien Fire that threatened six structures and burned through
486 acres of a south county ranch was contained Sunday morning,
CalFire reported.
Paicines – The Quien Fire that threatened six structures and burned through 486 acres of a south county ranch was contained Sunday morning, CalFire reported.
It was the largest wildfire in San Benito County this season.
CalFire Battalion Chief Curt Itson said fighting the blaze was difficult because of the ranch’s terrain and abundant fuel. The section of the Gabilan Range that burned hadn’t caught fire before, Itson said.
“We couldn’t find a history of fire up there,” Itson said.
A freak lightning storm rolled through the Central Coast on Wednesday and Thursday, keeping CalFire officials on high alert for blazes. A lightning strike finally lit a blaze at 3:45pm Thursday west of Highway 25, according to CalFire.
“As we responded to the fire, I probably saw 10 lightning strikes hit the ground,” Itson said.
The dry chaparral brush and oak and pine trees stoked flames up to 100 feet Thursday night, Itson said.
Steep terrain also made it difficult for firefighting equipment to maneuver in the area of the fire, the chief said. Its remoteness also made it hard to gain access to the area, Itson said.
As of noon Friday, the blaze was 50 percent contained and had consumed 440 acres, CalFire unit information officer Jan Bray said that day.
Itson said there were two fire engines at the ranch Monday that patrolled for flare-ups and continued cleanup efforts – such as hauling out trash.
Bray said 156 CalFire personnel, 19 engines, five water tank trunks, a helicopter, many plans and a bulldozer assisted in containing the blaze.
Planes circled the fire and dropped flame retardant Friday. A helicopter based out of San Benito County’s Bear Valley CalFire station dumped water it.
High temperatures also complicated firefighting efforts, CalFire Capt. Jim Dellamonica said Friday at the scene of the blaze. The heat makes it difficult to keep firefighters hydrated, Dellamonica said.
