Plaskett Fire nearly doubles in size as crews continue battling wildfires in California's Big Sur
Two wildfires in California's Big Sur region that have burned tens of thousands of acres continued to grow over the weekend, with one fire nearly doubling in size, officials said.
Plaskett Fire Keeps Growing
According to Cal Fire, the Plaskett Fire has burned 15,479 acres as of Monday morning, up from 8,241 acres on Sunday morning. Containment is at 1%.
"It grew fast, nearly doubling in size during the last operational period. It's burning in steep, rugged terrain with thick vegetation, which makes it hard for ground crews to reach," officials said. "The fire has been pushing toward Highway 1 and moving east into the interior, and there's ongoing concern it could keep spreading south."
The fire, burning in far southern Monterey County east of the community of Plaskett, was first reported on the morning of Aug. 26. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Timber Fire "Still Poses a Risk"
About 25 miles north, crews continued to battle the Timber Fire, which has been burning for more than three weeks. As of Monday morning, the fire has burned 24,970 acres with containment at 21%.
"The fire stayed active overnight, and firefighters are still keeping a close eye on the steep, rugged terrain where it's hard to get equipment and crews in," officials said. "The fire still poses a risk to the Big Sur area, nearby communities, roads and utilities, and both cultural sites and natural areas."
The Timber Fire was first reported on the night of Aug. 8 in the Los Padres National Forest. Officials said the cause is under investigation.
Latest On Evacuations
Multiple evacuation orders, evacuation warnings and shelter-in-place orders remain in effect Monday for both fires. On Sunday, evacuation warnings for the Plaskett Fire expanded to three zones in northern San Luis Obispo County.
Fire shelters have been established at the Carmel Mission Inn conference room in Carmel and the Cambria Veterans Memorial Building in Cambria.
Up-to-date evacuation information can be found at alertmry.org/alerts. A map of current evacuation orders and warnings can be found at project.genasys.com.
Highway 1 Closure
As of Monday, no through traffic is allowed on Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast. The closure stretches from mile marker 56 near the Little Sur River to mile marker 0.09, just north of the San Luis Obispo County line.
Officials have not said when the road would reopen.
Air Quality Advisory
The Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory on Monday for the Bay Area, as smoke from the Plaskett and Timber fires is expected to drift into the region through Tuesday.
"While smoke is expected to remain aloft, conditions can change rapidly and the amount and location of smoke at ground level is hard to predict," the district said.
When encountering wildfire smoke, officials urged going indoors if temperatures allow, to use indoor air filtration or to go to a location with filtered air, such as a library or mall.
Residents can check for real-time smoke pollution levels by visiting the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map at https://fire.airnow.gov.
