Boulder Creek was evacuated yesterday because of the advancing CZU Lightning Complex Fires that were started just after midnight on August 16. Brookdale and Ben Lomond were evacuated later. Evacuation of Felton began early this morning, less than a day after some of those evacuated from the other Communities had set up camp around town.

Ash and burned leaves had been falling from the sky in several regions, particularly between Los Gatos and Scott’s Valley. Smoke is unusually thick, and had been heavier in the Santa Clara Valley than forest fire smoke had ever been in history.

More information can be found online. However, accurate and practical information is scarce. Presently, some ‘updated’ maps show that the fires are confined to the same few acres near the coast. Others show three larger but still confined fires. The current extent of the fires or combined fire is unknown.

This is an unsettling situation to say the least. These fires have already burned several homes, and will likely burn more, leaving several or many people homeless.