The flames from a windswept blaze 10 miles northwest of Morgan Hill produced a smoke plume visible from throughout the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas on Monday afternoon, when temperatures throughout the area approached or exceeded 100 degrees.
The wildfire, whose smoke was visible from San Benito County as a large mushroom cloud, grew from 30 acres to nearly in just its first hour after starting around 3:15 p.m. Calfire air crews based at the Hollister Municipal Airport were dropping flame retardant on the fire.
BenitoLink photographer Lisa Robinson-Ward captured pictures of the smoke from San Benito County during its first hour.