As fire crews work to suppress the Timber Fire in Big Sur, which has burned 4,245 acres and is 7-percent contained as of Thursday, Aug. 13, community groups are organizing to support firefighters and people displaced by the blaze.
More than 1,400 personnel are currently assigned to the fire, according to Cal Fire. Shifting weather conditions and the rugged terrain of the Los Padres National Forest are adding challenges for crews battling the blaze.
“As crews continue to funnel in to help, the biggest challenge has been our ability to logistically support them with food, water, showers, shelter etc.,” Big Sur Fire Chief Matt Harris said in a statement. “The Incident Management Team is acutely aware and actively improving the situation.”
Big Sur Fire has specifically requested bottled water, phone car chargers, power banks, electrolyte packets, protein bars, healthy snacks, jerky, dried fruit, chapstick, basic toiletries, toilet paper, eye drops, coconut water, poison oak remedies, utility and work gloves, laundry soap, travel-size deodorant, and gum and mints.
On Aug. 12, Alvarado Street Brewery began collecting donations at its Monterey, Carmel and Salinas restaurants to support firefighters and community members impacted by the fire.
“Our first load went down today,” says Brock Bill of Alvarado Street Brewery. He adds a group of local businesses, including Ad Astra Bread Co. and The Meatery, have also been collecting donations and delivering truckloads of supplies to Big Sur in coordination with Big Sur Fire.
“Our first day was huge. We got a ton of stuff,” Bill says. “Our chef from Monterey made 50 fresh tortas. We heard REI donated socks and headlamps. We’re going to keep collecting until they tell us to stop.”
Casey Cushing, an evacuated Big Sur resident, and Carmel Valley resident Emily Rose Peck have also been gathering food and supplies from the community and making runs to Costco. They have been coordinating with the Community Association of Big Sur (CABS) and Big Sur Fire on official needs and updates.
“We've seen incredible community support already,” says Rose Peck. “If there are any additional things, we're just going to keep an updated list. So we'll have additional runs.”
Helen Handshy, a Big Sur resident and co-founder of The Big Share, has been collaborating with The Hot Spot Studio in Monterey to collect donations and deliver goods to members of the Big Sur community. The Big Share was established in 2020 as a mutual-aid organization to help gather food and necessities for Big Sur residents who have difficulty accessing supplies.
The Community Foundation for Monterey County has reactivated its Fire Relief Fund to help people affected by the Timber Fire. According to the foundation, 100 percent of donations will be granted to nonprofit organizations helping individuals and families affected by the fire.
See Monterey has been in touch with Car Week organizers, members of the hospitality industry, the County of Monterey’s Department of Emergency Management and Visit San Luis Obispo to coordinate messaging around events and compile a list of hotels with availability to offer discounted rates for evacuees.
“Our hotel industry is unfortunately pretty good at this kind of thing. We've been through the Soberanes Fire, the Dolan Fire, battery plants burning to slip-outs on Highway 1,” says Rob O’Keefe, CEO of See Monterey. “We immediately shift gears.”
When the fire broke out on Aug. 8, 250 hotels across the county were contacted to determine which could offer reduced rates for displaced individuals, as well as waive pet policies. Because the fire was burning in an area of Big Sur relatively close to the southern end of the county, and because hotel capacity in Monterey County could be limited during Car Week, about a dozen additional hotels in San Luis Obispo County joined the effort, offering discounted rates for evacuees.
More than two dozen Car Week event producers were also engaged at the start of the week to adjust itineraries and develop contingency plans. Tour d’Elegance has been rerouted through Monterey to avoid Big Sur, and for the foreseeable future, cultural events in Big Sur have been cancelled due to the fire.
“The best way to donate and support is always directed to the organization itself,” Rose Peck says.
You can donate to Big Sur Fire here, and sign up for updates from the Community Association of Big Sur here.