Dolan Fire in Big Sur burns 2,500 acres overnight; sheriff's deputies arrest an arson suspect.

Around 8pm on Tuesday night, large swatchs of Monterey County skies were already covered in smoke and firefighters worked to try to contain two wildfires threatening homes, the River Fire outside of Salinas and the Carmel Fire in Cachagua.

Then around 8pm on Tuesday evening came a third major fire, the Dolan Fire, which originated near Highway 1 in John Little State Natural Reserve, located roughly half a mile south of the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. 

By 7:30am the next morning, Aug. 19, it had burned some 2,500 acres, and was "actively burning in all directions," according to a Los Padres National Forest statement. 

On Tuesday evening, shortly after the fire began, California State Parks rangers detained 30-year-old Ivan Geronimo Gomez of Fresno near the origin point of the fire. Monterey County Sheriff's detectives responded, and they arrested Gomez on suspicion of arson. He was booked into Monterey County Jail, and his bail has been set at $2 million. 

Officials have said little more around the circumstances of the fire, but last night at 9:28pm, about an hour-and-a-half after the Dolan Fire started, the California Highway Patrol log reflects an unusual call: Dispatch for the U.S. Forest Service (the lead agency for a wildfire on national forest lands) inquired about whether CHP was available to assist; "their firefighter[s] are having rocks thrown at them and poss[ible] marijuana cultivator growers in area." 

Evacuations have been ordered on the east side of Dolan Canyon, which is east of Highway 1. 

Highway 1 is closed between Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in the north and Lucia in the south.