Evacuation orders lift in Santa Clara, Alameda counties as complex containment reaches 60 percent

Cal Fire lifted its evacuation orders in Santa Clara and Alameda counties Monday after firefighters made progress in containing the SCU Lightning Complex fires.

The fires have burned more than 383,000 acres of vegetation in multiple locations in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced and San Benito counties since being sparked by lightning strikes and a West Coast heat wave roughly two weeks ago.

The acreage burned is the second-highest amount recorded in California’s history.

The complex of fires was about 60 percent contained as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire. The agency expects the complex to be fully contained by Thursday.

More than 1,900 firefighters from several agencies and departments across the fire complex region have been fighting the fires.

Three firefighters and two civilians have suffered injuries due to the fire and more than 100 structures have been destroyed since it first began. More than 20,000 structures are still considered to be threatened, according to Cal Fire.

Residents in the affected counties are advised to remain vigilant about current fire conditions in their area. A full map of Cal Fire evacuation orders can be found at bit.ly/2Z7I4cn.