A fire on the Central Coast of California in Big Sur has expanded to nearly 5,000 acres, Cal Fire officials said on Aug. 16.
The fire, known as the Timber Fire, is 15 percent contained, and its cause has not yet been determined.
“There is fire confirmed over the Pine Ridge Trail system, with rollout toward the Big Sur River. However, the fire remains to the south of the Big Sur River, which is a key containment objective,” Cal Fire’s Incident Management Team said in an update.
The fire is burning on the east side of Highway 1 above high-end coastal houses and threatens more than 500 structures.
Crews have created containment lines next to these houses, but officials said steep drainages have made implementing them very difficult, especially because fog has severely limited their use of aircraft.
“Firefighters are ... working along Highway 1 and doing everything they can to safely secure the area and defend structures,” officials said.
However, they also said that the coastal city’s marine layer has moderated the fire, which is headed toward the Big Sur River, where contingency lines have also been placed.
On the morning of Aug. 15, officials said the previous day’s clear skies allowed firefighters to do a thorough assessment of the fire and clean up vegetation between the active fire and containment line.
Officials said they have assigned more than 1,800 personnel to fight the Timber Fire, as well as 181 fire engines and eight helicopters.
The fire began the night of Aug. 8 and reached about 400 acres the next day.
On Aug. 11, Monterey County officials issued an immediate evacuation order for nearby areas in Big Sur as the fire rose to more than 2,000 acres with only 5 percent contained.
The fire rapidly grew to 4,000 acres by Aug. 13, but fire personnel have been able to gradually contain more of it, while slowing its spread.
“The fire continues to burn at a low intensity in the wilderness and has shown little growth in the last 24 hours,” officials said on Aug. 15.
The fire started during Monterey Car Week, a premier luxury car event including shows, auctions, and races throughout the Monterey Peninsula, just north of Big Sur.
The automobile festival attracts car enthusiasts and brands from all over the world and typically increases traffic through Big Sur and neighboring parts of Highway 1.
Lasting from Aug. 7 to Aug. 16, the celebration culminates with the historic Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance.
