Quick Take
Containment improved to 7% on the Timber fire in Big Sur on Wednesday night, with Cal Fire reporting that the blaze had consumed more than 4,000 acres.
The Timber fire, burning since Sunday in Big Sur, grew to more than 4,000 acres as of Wednesday night, with evacuation orders and warnings in place in the surrounding areas.
The blaze was first reported on Sunday at 10:44 a.m. As of 7:52 p.m. Wednesday, it had burned 4,044 acres – but with higher humidity and cooler temperatures, containment improved to 7%, Cal Fire’s incident team reported. Five zones were under evacuation orders, with another five under evacuation warnings.
Sarah Melton, administrative assistant at Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County, told Lookout on Wednesday that the agency has sent a strike team that includes a division chief, fire captain and three firefighters.
As of Wednesday evening, Highway 1 was closed from mile marker 45.1 (south of the Big Sur Bakery) to the north and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point (mile marker 31) at the south end, according to Monterey County’s incident report page.
The blaze is on federal land in the Los Padres National Forest, and the cause was still under investigation.
“The fire has burned almost to Highway 1 at Grimes Canyon,” Cal Fire’s Wednesday night incident update reads. “It continues to back slowly towards structures along Highway 1 between Ventana and Partington Ridge Road. Firefighters continue to prioritize structure defense in those areas.”
Thunderstorm activity in the area slowed crews during the day, the agency reported, but clearer skies later on allowed crews to make progress on containment. A heavy marine layer was expected overnight, with cooler temperatures Thursday ahead of a warmer weekend.
Cecile Juliette, the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit spokesperson, was at the scene of the fire on Monday, and told Lookout that a Cal Fire incident management team would assume command of the fire despite the fire occurring on federal land.
Juliette added that it isn’t common for the state agency to assume this role in a federal fire.
“California’s wildfires are not as active as in other parts of the West right now, so it gives Cal Fire the ability to support our federal partners,” she said.
According to a Cal Fire post on X, incident management teams are specialized groups of emergency personnel that provide leadership and coordination during complicated incidents. The groups direct and supervise fire suppression efforts, resources, logistics, safety and more.
Click here for Cal Fire’s latest information regarding the fire.
Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.
