Quick Take
Crews are trying to make progress on the Timber and Plaskett fires, which continue to burn near Big Sur in Monterey County. Containment of the Timber fire inched up to 23% as it had scorched roughly 25,226 acres as of Wednesday night. Farther south, the Plaskett fire was up to 29,123 acres, with containment still only 1%.
Two massive wildfires in Monterey County have continued to expand this week as crews struggle to contain both.
The Timber fire in Big Sur had burned roughly 25,226 acres as of Wednesday night, with containment ticking up to 23%. Per Cal Fire’s incident page, the blaze’s behavior moderated during the day, helping progress, with firefighters reinforcing control features along the Highway 1 corridor.
The blaze was first reported the morning of Aug. 9, and officials say it still poses a risk to the Big Sur area and nearby communities in southern Monterey County. Some 20 zones in Monterey County were under evacuation orders as of Wednesday night, with 14 more under evacuation warnings.
A Cal Fire incident management team, a specialized group of emergency personnel that provide leadership and coordination during complicated incidents, continues to lead the fire response. A crew from the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County was sent out to help with the ongoing efforts.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced that the northern closure of Highway 1 – Mile Marker 56.0, just south of the Little Sur River, to Mile Marker 45 – would be lifted at 6 a.m. Thursday. A hard closure between Mile Marker 16.0, just north of the Pacific Valley Bluff Trailhead, and the San Luis Obispo County line – the area affected by the Plaskett fire – would remain in place.
State parks within the Big Sur area remain closed, including Point Sur State Historic Park, Andres Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
Just 25 miles south of the Timber fire, the Plaskett fire had spread to 29,123 acres as of Wednesday night and remained just 1% contained. “The eastern portion of the fire remains the primary concern for crews as it continues burning into Fort Hunter Liggett, where steep terrain, heavy vegetation, and limited access are complicating suppression efforts,” Cal Fire write in in an update on the incident page for the blaze, which ignited Aug. 26. “Resources are focused on structure defense and reinforcing established control lines.”
The Watsonville Fire Department has sent out a crew to help with response efforts, according to city spokesperson Erika Vasquez.
Evacuation orders have been issued to seven zones in south Monterey County, with four more zones under evacuation warnings, and officials in San Luis Obispo County had also issued evacuation warnings for three zones as of Wednesday, according to Cal Fire.
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