Cal Fire investigates property where Loma Fire possibly started

UPDATE: As firefighters are battling the Loma fire, Cal Fire investigators are trying to figure out how it started. Officials believe it started on an 80 acre property in the Santa Cruz mountains.

“We did respond to a structure fire that was the initial dispatch, ” said Cal Fire Public Information Officer Scott McLean. “Our investigators are investigating that area as to the cause of this fire.”

Cal Fire said it can’t confirm or deny marijuana was grown on the property.

But attorney Mark Garver said the property owner has worked with the medical marijuana industry in the past.

“The owner of the LLC had a previous connection to a dispensary,” said Garver. “The LLC does not have a connection to the dispensary and the property is not connected to a dispensary.”

Garver told KION there were greenhouses on the property, but they didn’t have any illegal grow in them.

“There is no butane, there is no meth lab, there is no firearms on that property,” said Garver. “There’s just no evidence that this started as result of marijuana.”

Cal Fire said it’s looking into whether or not the fire started in the structure or from vegetation on the land.

“It’s a very methodical, very time consuming process to get down to the actual cause of the fire,” said McLean.

Garver said he and his client are launching their own investigation and are being cooperative.

“They’re very concerned obviously about the fire, and the neighbors, and people they know whose homes have been destroyed,” said Garver.

Cal Fire is asking people who live in the rural area to be on the lookout for peculiar behavior.

“Please keep your eyes and ears open,” said McLean. “If you see anything suspicious at any time please inform the authorities.”

Cal Fire said they will release more information as details become available.

ORIGINAL STORY: Cal Fire is investigating a possible cause of the Loma Fire at an 80-acre property in the Santa Cruz mountains, Cal Fire said.

According to the property owner’s attorney, the land used to have a connection to a local medical marijuana dispensary.

The Loma Fire is 4,345 acres and is 56 percent contained. Crews also said 12 homes and 16 outbuildings have been destroyed. One home has been damaged.

UPDATED evacuation information from Cal Fire:

Santa Clara County: Mandatory evacuation orders for the Loma Prieta ridgeline area including all tributary roads along Summit Road from Soquel San Jose Road to Ormsby Fire Station. This includes Uvas Canyon County Park, Loma Chiquita, Casa Loma, and Loma.

As of 12 PM October 1, the evacuation order for Croy Road and Sveadal is lifted. Learn what residents should do when returning home after a fire.