Firefighters respond to vegetation fire in forested area of Cambria

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Cal Fire responded to a vegetation fire in a densely forested area of Cambria on Thursday afternoon.

The fire was off of Bridge Street, just east of the community cemetery, the agency tweeted around 12:40 p.m.

According to Cal Fire, the fire was roughly 100 square feet in an area with brush, trees and heavy duff. It had a slow rate of spread.

Crews on scene worked to establish control lines with help from the Cambria Fire Department.

The forward spread of the fire was halted soon after it was reported.

Fires in Cambria can be particularly worrisome because the town is built within and surrounded by a rare native stand of mostly aging Monterey pines, with many of the trees dying or dead.

While forest-management work such as the creation of fire-break areas has been ongoing to reduce wildfire risk in the area, there is always potential for a blaze that could destroy homes and habitat and trigger an evacuation nightmare.

Previous fires have burned in the area surrounding Bridge Street.