The Timber Fire may be here for the long haul.

We’re now a week into the Timber Fire, which as of yesterday afternoon, Aug. 14, was mapped at more than 4,500 acres, 7-percent contained, with over 1,800 personnel fighting the blaze on land and from the air in Big Sur. It’s been the subject of multiple updates on our website, montereycountynow.com, and in a print story by Staff Writer Katie Rodriguez. 

Pam Marino here. The fire reminds me of the Dolan Fire six years ago, starting in Big Sur on Aug. 18, 2020. I remember the day well, because I was supposed to start my vacation in Big Sur the next day. I went just in case it turned out to be a small fire. I remember eating lunch at Nepenthe as a bit of ash fell like drifting snowflakes on diners and our meals.

I finished eating and went home. The people at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn were very kind about canceling my reservation with no charge.

That fire went on to burn 128,050 acres over several months, burning parts of the Ventana Wilderness, Fort Hunter Liggett and surrounding areas. Fifteen firefighters were injured on Sept. 8, three seriously, after deploying emergency shelters at Nacimiento Station. It wasn’t declared fully contained until December.

I rescheduled my trip to October after things had settled down, and I recall seeing crews keeping an eye on hot spots to the south. They were still using the Sand Dollar Beach campground as a base. 

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Aug. 13, Big Sur Fire Chief Matt Harris referred to the Timber Fire as a “long duration incident.” Let’s hope it’s not as long or as destructive as Dolan. Harris also said their number one goal is to protect structures, and again, hopefully they will be successful.

In the meantime, the Big Sur community can use our support, and for that check out Rodriguez’s article from Thursday about ways to contribute.