The wildfire impacting Santa Cruz County is now 8% contained thanks to the valiant efforts of first responders from CAL FIRE and across the country. The fire remains approximately one mile north of campus and has not traveled further south at this point. Work to establish fire break lines north of the residential campus has provided a line of defense to hopefully decrease the likelihood of fire spread. However, conditions can change, and weather conditions are expected to worsen late this evening. A red flag warning has been issued for the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast, for an event of high winds and thunderstorms with little-to-no precipitation that could spark new fires late this evening and into early Monday morning. Continue to be vigilant in tracking the weather for your area and heed any warnings issued by local officials. For the latest information from CAL FIRE please visit CAL FIRE Incidents Page.
There continues to be an outpouring of support for our campus community members who are impacted by the fires. Our students and employees who did not have a place to evacuate continue to be housed at San Jose State University and at our University Town Center and local hotels. We are also working diligently to identify those who have lost their homes in the wildfires in order to provide support. If you are a student or employee who has lost your home, please provide that information using this form. Note that this form is intended for those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed and are no longer inhabitable. If you have been displaced from your home due to evacuation, and are not sure of the status of your home, you do not need to complete this form. Students who live off-campus are also encouraged to complete this form to assess your situations and needs.
We have received reports of scams during this time of crisis. It is disheartening to hear about these situations. Some individuals are getting calls from people claiming to be a representative from PG&E or another agency, and stating that the recipient of the call owes money. The Sheriff's Department has warned individuals to be cautious, as these calls are not legitimate.
Our residential campus, Westside Research Park, and Coastal Science Campus remain closed, and you should not attempt to access these locations. We continue to get reports of individuals trying to enter these areas. By doing so they are threatening not only their own safety, but diverting resources and personnel from the critical fire prevention work our first responders need to focus on. Once conditions permit the chancellor’s emergency order to be modified, we will begin the process reviewing facilities and permitting some university activities to resume on a priority basis.
As a reminder you can find all of our messages regarding the fire and consistent updates at ucsc.edu/fire.
In spite of these challenges, the amount of goodwill and humanity remain inspiring. The stories of Slugs helping Slugs provide light and hope amidst the challenges and heartache that so many of our community members are experiencing. Thank you so much for giving of yourselves and your hearts during these difficult times.
