2-Acre Fire Burns In Santa Cruz County Wednesday

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Firefighters battled a two-acre fire Wednesday morning in Henry Cowell State Redwoods Park as heavy smoke hung over the county.

No structures were threatened, said Cal Fire San Mateo — Santa Cruz Division Chief Nate Armstrong. The fire was first reported around 2 a.m. and the blaze slowly spread in a heavily wooded area, until Cal Fire reported at 11:30 a.m. that firefighters had stopped the fire's growth.

Crews and fire helicopters were expected to remain at the scene of the fire for an unknown amount of time.

Santa Cruz County skies would likely remain hazy for at least a day, Armstrong said.

People with respiratory issues should take precautions, University of California, Santa Cruz police said.

The fire was originally dubbed the Pogonip Fire as crews struggled to locate the blaze and drove around Highway 9 and Graham Hill Road trying to locate the threat, Armstrong said. The smoke rose with the sun and crews pinpointed the fire's location in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park around 6:30 a.m.

Crews from Ben Lomond were on scene as of 7 a.m. The fire began in a remote area not easily accessible, Cal Fire said.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.