Cal Fire battles blaze at Montaña de Oro state park near grove of eucalyptus trees

Firefighters hiked through dense fog to battle a wildland fire at Montaña de Oro State Park in San Luis Obispo County on Friday afternoon.

By 5:16 p.m., the fire was 50% contained to a three-fourths acre plot, Cal Fire said on Twitter.

When Cal Fire arrived on the scene at about 3:10 p.m., dense fog initially made it difficult to locate the fire.

Cal Fire battled a fire at Montaña de Oro State Park on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.
Cal Fire battled a fire at Montaña de Oro State Park on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.

Emergency responders met at Horse Camp in the park to hike up a ridge to the Broderson property trail head to find the fire.

Firefighters located the blaze behind a grove of eucalyptus trees at about 4 p.m., according to Cal Fire spokesperson Toni Davis. The fire was at the peak of the trail burning downhill, Davis said.

Though it initially made it difficult to spot the fire, the heavy fog also helped to slow its spread, according to Davis.

“The amount of moisture in the air means it’s a very slow-moving fire, so that’s really good,” Davis said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Cal Fire said.