Two fires continue to burn in Big Sur; one, the Plaskett Fire, has more than tripled in size in roughly 24 hours, while the other, the Timber Fire, remains relatively stable. The cause of both fires are currently under investigation.
As of Aug. 31, the Plaskett Fire has burned more than 26,700 acres and is 1-percent contained, an increase from roughly 8,200 acres the day before, prompting evacuation orders in seven zones. The size of the Plaskett Fire has surpassed the Timber Fire, and is now currently the third-largest in the state this year.
The fire’s rapid spread has been attributed to steady winds and thick vegetation in areas with no fire history in the past 50 years. The fire has reportedly grown on all fronts and was pushing north toward Prewitt Creek overnight, where firefighters worked to stay ahead of the advancing front.
“Firing operations along the southwest continue to advance effectively, and crews have secured the line from Willow Creek to Plaskett Campground,” according to a U.S. Forest Service update at 4:20pm.
The Timber Fire has burned nearly 25,000 acres and is 21-percent contained. The fire remained active overnight and is currently staying within its existing footprint, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Throughout the day, crews have focused on strengthening primary control lines.
Between both fires, roughly 51,000 acres has burned.
Two segments of Highway 1 remain closed to through traffic, according to Caltrans. The northern closure extends from post mile 56, just south of the Little Sur River, to post mile 45, just south of the Big Sur Post Office. The southern closure extends from post mile 16 near Pacific Valley to post mile 0.0 at the Monterey-San Luis Obispo County line.
“We have a deepening marine layer along the coast. Really good conditions in the front country near Big Sur Village,” said Ryan Walbrun, an incident meteorologist with the U.S. Forest Service, in an update. “Once you get into interior parts of the Timber Fire, extremely dry conditions will continue to challenge firefighters up above the marine layer.”
Similar weather conditions apply to the Plaskett Fire, according to Walbrun. He said the head of the fire has pushed toward Fort Hunter Liggett, while moist conditions in the Salinas Valley and along the Big Sur coastline have created more favorable conditions for firefighters around the fire’s perimeter.
“We do have more moist conditions surrounding the Plaskett Fire, but we’re not able to get those conditions over the fire today,” he said. “As we go to the week ahead, we go into a pretty cool pattern for the start of September that should bring some relief to firefighters.”
Free shelters for evacuees are now open both to the south and the north. In Cambria, the Veterans Building at 1000 Main St. has a 48-bed capacity. In Carmel, the County of Monterey and American Red Cross are operating a temporary shelter in the conference room of the Carmel Mission (at 3665 Rio Road).
In addition, a temporary evacuation point at the Carmel Valley Branch Library (65 W. Carmel Valley Road) is a hub for information. For more information, call (831) 647-7760.
Know your zone by looking up your address at protect.genasys.com/search, and stay up to date on evacuation orders and warnings at readymontereycounty.org.