A firefighter douses hot spots at a wild land fire that ate up five acres of trees and brush Sunday afternoon off of Conference Drive in Scotts Valley. While no injuries were reported and no structures were damaged, the 2:30 p.m. blaze sent up a huge column of white smoke that wafted across Scotts Valley and Highway 17 into Santa Cruz. Firefighters on the ground were aided by two Cal Fire air tankers and a helicopter who took turns blanketing the blaze inside Hanson’s Quarry with water and fire retardant. The cause of the five-acre fire is still under investigation, said Jake Hess, Deputy Chief with Cal Fire. One neighbor said she could hardly see her neighbor’s house due to the smoke. “There was ash floating all around,” she said. “I was ready to get the kitty carriers out when the smoke started dissipating.”
