A carport fire in the Fern Ridge neighborhood near the Santa Cruz Mountains summit that spread to surrounding vegetation was stopped in its tracks today before it could devour any homes or become an out-of-control wildland blaze.
But as firefighters flipped charred building remains hunting for embers, Zayante Fire Chief Jeff Maxwell had strong words for the homeowner, who was unable to provide access to his water system, after a Starlink internet cable melted.
“They’d been relying on a phone app that relies on Starlink,” Maxwell said around 5:30pm. “He was using technology to an advantage, until Mother Nature found a weakness.”
The problem was that the homeowner was unaware of how to turn the water on manually, according to the chief.
“You should know how it operates,” he remarked.
Crews used 1,500 gallons of water they brought with them in two trucks—then found a neighbor who allowed them to connect to their water tank, per the chief.
“We had it knocked down within 10 minutes,” the chief said.
Four of the Zayante Fire District firefighters had just returned from a couple weeks on the Timber Fire in Big Sur when they got the call.
“They were rehabbing their engine,” said Maxwell.
Cal Fire also responded to the incident.
Despite the hiccup with the Starlink apparatus, the homeowner was praised for having good defensible space around the house.
The home occupants had reported hearing an explosion coming from the garage.
While a sign on a tree notes that Fern Ridge is a nationally-recognized “FIREWISE USA” community, Maxwell says a hydrant down the road from the fire didn’t work.
“I’m guessing this neighborhood is going to get a talking to in the near future,” he said.
Before they were doused, the flames had ignited on shrubbery and grasses on two sides of the carport.
Neighbor Fred Laccabue had been at work in Scotts Valley when he got a call from his sister, who lives next door, about the fire.
“I was worried,” he said, while sipping a Corona as firefighters mopped up. “I’m comfortable now.”
