State of emergency declared in Summit fire

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency this afternoon due to a 3,000-acre wildfire burning in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

“We are aggressively battling this fire from the onset. We are putting extra resources on this fire, and we will continue to mobilize and coordinate all the resources necessary to fight it,” Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement.

Strong winds pushing the fire across thousands of acres of dry, vegetation are expected to subside after midnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds are blowing around 15 to 30 mph this afternoon and will most likely decrease to 15 to 20 mph from midnight through Friday, weather service meteorologist Steve Anderson said.

Gusts up to 40 mph this morning fueled the blaze that has destroyed 12 structures and forced around 200 residents to evacuate.

The fire was reported around 5:30 a.m. One resident, Kenneth Kim, said he smelled smoke and saw flames when he went to use an outhouse. He called 911 to report the blaze.

Billowing plumes of black, orange and gray smoke can be seen in the area and are reportedly visible from as far as Richmond in the East Bay.

The fire is traveling southwest toward the Pacific Ocean.

Hundreds of firefighters from Cal Fire and other agencies are dropping retardant on the flames from air tankers and have brought in additional water supplies, according to Cal Fire spokesman Chris Morgan.

One engine from the Palo Alto Fire Department was dispatched to the blaze about 11 a.m.

The fire may grow extensively before the flames are extinguished, according to San Jose Fire Capt. Craig Schwinge.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ken McGeever said residents living in the path of the fire “need to be prepared to evacuate in a moment’s notice.”

Both mandatory and voluntary evacuations are in place at an estimated 120 to 150 homes scattered throughout the area, McGeever said.

In addition to residents being evacuated from their homes, several schools closed today as a result of the blaze.

The fire burning between Gilroy and Watsonville was first reported near Summit and Ormsby roads, Cal Fire spokeswoman Colleen Baxter said.

Schwarzenegger took time from a roundtable meeting in Union City with presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Silicon Valley business leaders this morning to commend the firefighters battling the blaze.

Firefighters from most counties throughout the Bay Area have been sent to assist.

Some roads in the area are blocked. Summit Road at Mount Madonna Road is closed as well as Pole Line Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

There is no estimated time for containment. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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