Soberanes Fire continues growing, but slows down.

Finally, a damp, foggy day on the coast help slow the spread of the Soberanes Fire somewhat, even as it continues growing. The fire burned another 1,872 acres Saturday, the majority of that on U.S. Forest Service lands to the east.

The fire, which began Friday, July 22, has burned a total of 35,540 acres and remains at 15-percent containment. At least 57 homes and 11 outbuildings have been destroyed. 

"We got a lot more marine influence in today, and much cooler temperatures," says U.S. Forest Service spokesman Jim Mackensen. 

"It has calmed down a little bit, but it's still actively burning."

In the Los Padres Forest, where the fire has now burned more than 10,000 acres, Mackenson says the cool, foggy marine influence doesn't have much impact. 

"It's still burning quite freely up there, at higher elevations up above the marine influence." 

In a few places, the fire has slowed down and is staying behind breaks. Friday at 4pm, Cal Fire announced that Carmel Highlands residents could return home after officials determined a fire line there was holding well. 

In addition, a break west of the Santa Lucia Preserve on the Carmel Valley side of the mountains is holding.

Officials have been doing controlled burns in the Preserve, and plan to do controlled burning to the southeast, in Cachagua as soon as Sunday. 

But still, containment remains at just 15-percent because the fire keeps growing, mostly into the Los Padres National Forest. 

"It's moving faster than we can," Mackensen says. "It's going to be a slow-moving process."

Officials still expect to fully contain the fire by Aug. 31. 

About 300 additional firefighters arrived throughout the day on Saturday, and tonight some are settling in to a new post at Rancho Cañada in Carmel Valley, in addition to the primary command post at Toro Park. 

A third camp at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has also been established, though it won't have all the trappings of the two more built-out posts; cooks will prepare meals at Rancho Cañada or Toro Park and "hot-can" it, or load it into 5-gallon buckets to keep it hot and deliver it to Pfeiffer, Mackenson says. 

All state parks in the region, from Point Lobos to Julie Pfeiffer Big Sur, remain closed for now. 

In addition, Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks including Palo Corona and Mill Creek (both affected by the fire) and Garland Ranch as well as Cachagua Community Park are currently closed.