The Timber Fire burning in the Big Sur area of Monterey County grew to 24,728 acres Sunday evening with 21% containment as several zones remain under evacuation orders.
The Timber Fire started on Aug. 8 and quickly grew to thousands of acres, forcing evacuations of hundreds of residents southeast of Loma Vista along the state Highway 1 corridor.
On Sunday afternoon, Cal Fire said it was working containment lines from Bottchers Gap and Kincannon Road to the Los Padres Dam on the northern end of the blaze and along the Coast Ridge Road to the southern part of the fire. Crews have hiked into the Ventana Wilderness to reach spots that bulldozers cannot get to, the agency said.
Overnight operations along state Highway 1 by Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park were fruitful and held through Sunday, Cal Fire said, though falling rocks above the highway are still a challenge.
Evacuation orders have been listed for 20 zones, along with evacuation warnings for 14 zones.
Shelters for evacuees have been set up at the Carmel Mission Inn Conference Room at 3665 Rio Road in Carmel, as well as the Cambria Veterans Memorial Building at 1000 Main St. in Cambria.
Plaskett Fire prompts new evacuation order
More evacuation orders were issued Sunday in Monterey County for Big Sur residents just north of the San Luis Obispo County line.
Residents in zone MRY-F038 were told to leave immediately in an order from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office as the Plaskett Fire grew to nearly 15,500 acres as of Sunday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.
The zone extends from the county line to southeast of Salmon Creek Trail.
The fire, which started on Wednesday, nearly doubled in size from Saturday to Sunday.
It is burning roughly 25 miles south of the Timber Fire.
The Plaskett Fire was 1% contained as of Sunday.
Both fires are burning in Los Padres National Forest just east of state Highway 1, which remained closed in the entire Big Sur area on Sunday.