The Summit Fire was a
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...
that started on May 22, 2008 in the
Santa Cruz Mountains, near
Corralitos, California,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The fire was fully contained on May 27, 2008.
No injuries or fatalities occurred, with the exception of twelve firefighters who received minor sprains, cuts and strains.
The fire prompted mandatory evacuations of homes in the area. Several elementary, middle, and high schools were closed following the fire.
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a
state of emergency for
Santa Cruz County.
The cause of the fire was an unattended burn pile
.
The fire has approached the area to the east which was consumed in October 2002 - the
Croy Fire.
Evacuations
The fire affected
Santa Clara and
Santa Cruz Counties.
Approximately 1,400 homes were evacuated. Of them 336 were mandatory. More than 2900 firefighters fought the fire.
Residents were ordered to evacuate the area shortly before 3 PM. The fire also affected Maymens Flat, a tiny community of fewer than ten homes.
Response
A
state of emergency was declared by
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He excused himself during a meeting with presidential candidate
John McCain to comment on the fire.
References
{{2008 California wildfires
2008 California wildfires
Evacuations
Wildfires in Santa Cruz County, California
May 2008 events in the United States