A wildfire near Highway 101 in King City that put the city on alert is now mostly contained.

A wildfire started south of the Highway 101 bridge, just north of downtown King City on Wednesday afternoon, May 25. Cal Fire and King City Fire Department combated the flames, which burned about 90 acres. As of Thursday morning, firefighters reported the King Fire was 80-percent contained.

The fire burned just north of King City's commercial district and downtown area, promoting evacuation warnings and highway closures.

Caltrans closed Highway 101 exists at First Street and Canal Street, and shortly before 5pm, King City Police issued an evacuation warning for River Road residential and commercial areas. Officials also opened an emergency shelter for potential evacuees at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds.

People living in an encampment in the river bed were evacuated, and King City Mayor Mike LeBarre was surprised and saddened to learn of two families with children living in the homeless community there. "When we did our last point-in-time count, we did not have any families there," he says.

LeBarre adds he is relieved that nobody was hurt, but it shows the urgency of getting housing placements for King City's homeless community. He's frustrated that the city is trying to move forward with a Homekey project—converting a motel into needed housing—and is stuck in a slow bureaucratic approvals process.

"Paperwork be damned," LeBarre says. "Just get the job done."

Another bureaucratic frustration for him is that there has been significant buildup of dry brush in the Salinas River bed, but getting permits to clear out potential fire fuel is also a challenge.

Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control and evacuation warnings were lifted on Wednesday night at 7:50pm. 

Fire officials have not released any information as to a suspected cause of the fire. 

 Sara Rubin contributed to this report.