Numbers of firefighters grows in anticipation of a windy night in Big Sur.

A crew of Tahoe National Forest firefighters had just rolled into Big Sur Wednesday afternoon, and their biggest complaint was boredom. 

"The question is, what are we going to do?" says Engine Boss Dave Foster.

Nearby, one firefighter was lying on top of a fire engine and reading on a Kindle.

He didn't seem convinced that there was good reason for his crew to be in Big Sur, considering containment was up from 20 percent yesterday to 74 percent today, ahead of schedule.

"[After] houses burn, it helps give the public a feeling of security," he said.

Foster and his team weren't sure where they'd be pitching tents, but a campground of sorts has sprung up in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, with firefighters camping adjacent to the Big Sur River in scenic areas that would make for idyllic campsites—if the air quality was better.  

Tim Sandstrom, a situation unit leader trainee with the Vandenberg Air Force Base Fire Department, pointed to his tent behind a trailer on the state park parking lot.

"I'm old, so I bring an air mattress," he says. "You just need room to sleep and crawl in."

The number of firefighters rose from about 500 yesterday to 879 today. That's because weather reports are predicting strong winds tonight, so the Tahoe team might see some action yet. 

Incident Commander Mark Nunez predicts some firefighters will remain through Christmas and up to two weeks as they continue monitoring conditions.