The Plaskett Fire in southern Monterey County neared 6,000 acres Friday night as drier conditions set in, according to Cal Fire.

The blaze, measured at 5,924 acres at 9 p.m., was moving closer to state Highway 1, just south of Plaskett Ridge Road, Cal Fire said, with fire activity progressing north and toward South Coast Ridge Road.

The area has been transitioning from cooler, moist conditions and light rain to drier weather, according to Cal Fire. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect due to the potential for isolated thunderstorms which could produce winds and contribute to unpredictable fire behavior.

Evacuation orders remain for zones MRY-F034, MRY-F035, MRY-F036 AND MRY-G016.

Evacuation warnings remain for MRY-F033, MRY-F037 AND MRY-G015.

A map showing the Plaskett Fire, which has burned 5,924 acres in California, with surrounding areas marked for warnings and fire activity.
A Cal Fire map highlights the areas of evacuation and coverage of the Plaskett Fire in Monterey County, Calif., at 5,924 acres and zero containment as of 9:11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. The wildfire was first reported near Forest Road, east of Los Burros Road in the Plaskett area of Big Sur about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26, according to Cal Fire. (Cal Fire via Bay City News)

The Plaskett Fire was first reported around 11 a.m. Wednesday along Forest Road near Plaskett, an unincorporated coastal community.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.