As crews make progress on SCU Lightning Complex fires, ranch owners return to properties

PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) — Fire crews have been able to make progress on slowing down the spread of the SCU Lightning Complex fires. 

The multiple fires burning throughout multiple Bay Area counties has a 35 percent containment and a total of 368,671 acres burned as of Thursday. 

Much of the region the fires are burning through is remote and predominantly lands of ranch owners. 

The Cal Fire Incident Management Team 6 and California State Parks have been working together to protect natural and cultural resources on private and public land — working alongside ranch landowners to return to their properties to evaluate any potential damages. 

“I would like to thank our sheriff’s posse; those are groups of volunteers that have a lot of experience in dealing with livestock and animals especially horses … they came in to help a lot of those individuals up on Mines Road get their horses out,” said Ray Kelly, Public Information Officer for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. 

“We issued 87 agriculture permits which allow people to go back into those areas and take care of livestock that we could not get out.”

The permits are being issued by the Cal Fire, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.

Damages and losses: *as of Aug. 27

• 37 structures destroyed (residential, commercial and other);
• 6 structures damages (residential, commercial and other);
• 5 injuries (confirmed fire personnel and civilian injuries).

Despite minimal damages and injuries — fire crews have been battling the fires with a lack of resources.

A total of 1,903 fire personnel and 23 crews are currently battling the fires.

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