Excerpt:
Forests that are predominately redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) are able to resist the effects of all but the most intense wildfires (Agee, 1993). Because it is the driest time of year, critical fire weather typically occurs in July through October. However, CalFire historical files for the Santa Cruz Mountains indicate that extreme fire conditions, including low humidity and high winds, have frequently occurred from August through early January. For example, in January 1961 six fires were recorded, several of which covered more than 1,000 acres...
(that’s all I have so far...)
A Freeper seems to have found info about a fire in Harlow in Mariposa County, July 10-15, 1961, east of Santa Cruz:
http://www.mariposaresearch.net/HARLOWFIRE.html
http://www.sierrastar.com/111/story/45834.html
But after further checking, that’s about 150 miles away. But, the timeframe is close ...