A brush fire sparked early Friday morning off Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to authorities. The fire was reported at about 3:30 a.m. near Old Santa Cruz Highway in unincorporated Los Gatos, an area hard for emergency crews to access, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP initially shut down Highway 17 in both directions and issued a Sig-alert at about 4:30 a.m., but the alert was canceled minutes later when the roadway was deemed clear of emergency equipment. The fire was less than an acre, and it wasn’t immediately clear if any homes were threatened. No injuries were reported. Around 3:30 this morning, firefighters were dispatched to a slow-moving vegetation fire at SB Highway 17 and Old Santa Cruz Highway in @sccounty. There were no injuries. #CaWx CAL FIRE, Santa Cruz County Fire, @sccfiredept @CHPscrz responded. The cause is under investigation.…— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) November 8, 2024