As the Timber Fire burns in the Big Sur region in Monterey County, public safety officials are telling residents and visitors in an expanding evacuation zone to “leave now,” while asking the public to stay clear of the area.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Office called on visitors of the popular tourist destination to “stay out of the area,” in order to keep the roadways clear for first responders. “Unnecessary traffic and sightseeing in the fire zone create hazards for emergency crews and slow down critical operations,” they said in a Monday morning social media post.
The expanding wildfire is located on the Big Sur side of the Santa Lucia Mountains, near Highway 1 around marker 32, north of Limekiln State Park and roughly 10 miles south of Big Sur, according to officials.
As of mid-day Monday, Aug 10, the fire has scorched through 1,300 acres, with just 5% contained, according to Cal Fire’s latest incident report.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Pfieffer Big Sur State Park, is currently closed. The Henry Miller Library is also temporarily closed, according to a Facebook post, which implored “Do not come to Big Sur.”
See Monterey, the county’s destination marketing organization, advises visitors about to travel to Monterey County from the south to avoid Highway 1 and find an alternative route via Highway 101 north. Motorists can use HOW2HWY1 for more information.
Evacuation orders expand
The Timber Fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain in the Los Padres National Forest.
Starting Monday morning, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued immediate evacuation orders for region MRY-F028-A, MRY-F023 and MRY-F025.
This comes after prior evacuation orders for MRY-F026 and MRY-F027, which included the luxury Ventana Inn.
Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn posted on Instagram that “guests packed up and headed out safely,” when the Evacuation Order came in. Nepenthe, Cafe Kevah and The Phoenix Shop are also closed.
A temporary evacuation point at 47555 Highway 1 in Big Sur has been setup by the county to serve residents under the evacuation orders. The Big Sur Station-Multi Agency Facility is a designated location for evacuees to temporarily gather, receive incident information and resource referrals, and coordinate next steps as conditions evolve. It is open Monday through Thursday or when evacuation orders are lifted, from 12 a.m. to 7 p.m.
According to See Monterey, hotels in the county are offering evacuation rates for residents and visitors impacted by the fire. A list of properties and rates can be found here.
Evacuation orders are made when there is an immediate threat to life and property. Public safety officials advise impacted community members to load their family, pets and emergency supply kit and leave the area.
Evacuation warnings remain in effect for zones MRY-F024, and MRY-F028-B.
Timber Fire began Saturday night
The Timber Fire began Saturday night at 9:38 p.m. in a remote location southeast of Loma Vista in the Los Padres National Forest near the community of Big Sur, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
By 10:44 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9, the vegetation fire quickly grew from 100 acres when it was 20% contained to 400 acres later in the evening when containment dropped to 5%, according to Cal Fire.
The location of the fire in steep, rugged and difficult terrain “continues to hamper firefighter access and suppression efforts,” said the U.S. Forest Service in a social media post. Overnight aircraft returned to their bases and were temporarily placed on hold because of poor visibility, according to Watch Duty.
The fire burned actively through the night and grew to 800 acres by the morning of Monday, Aug. 10.
By 12:26 p.m. on Aug. 10, the fire has grown to 1,300 acres and remains at 5% containment.
Ground and air resources from the U.S. Forest Service and CAL FIRE continue working the incident, with Big Sur Fire assisting. Among the firefighting resources being used are a night-flying helicopter, engine, dozer, hand crew, and chief officer, according to a CalFire social media post.
The cause of the Timber Fire is under investigation.
California smoke forecast map
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Timber Fire forces evacuations in Big Sur
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian | USA TODAY Network
