CZU Lightning Complex fires burn through more than 85,000 acres, 900 homes

The CZU Lightning Complex fires burning in southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Cruz County are 43 percent contained as of Tuesday morning.

Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said Tuesday morning that there was a lot of good progress on the fires, as crews work on control lines at the northern perimeter of the fire near Butano State Park and carry out mop-up — that is, reducing residual smoke and removing burning material — along the coast.

Spanning 85,218 acres, the CZU fires have caused one civilian fatality and destroyed more than 1,000 structures, including 921 residences.

Approximately 35,000 people remain evacuated, though in the last week Cal Fire lifted evacuation orders for many communities in the two counties. Returning residents should be cautious of hazards like road instability, damaged trees and damaged utilities.

For a full list of evacuation orders and updates on the CZU fires, people can visit https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/czu-lightning-complex-including-warnella-fire/.

A Resource Assistance Center is open at the Kaiser Permanente Arena at 140 Front St. in Santa Cruz. A center in San Mateo County will open on Wednesday at Pescadero Elementary School at 620 North St., Pescadero.