The Timber Fire is threatening structures along Big Sur’s Highway 1, with only five percent containment as of Wednesday afternoon. Photo: CalFire
Authorities closed ten miles of Highway 1 in Big Sur as the Timber Fire continues to spread largely uncontained. The fire, which started on Sunday southeast of the Monterey County town of Loma Vista, has grown to 3,700 acres as of Wednesday afternoon, with containment at five percent.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, and Monterey County issued an evacuation order for residents in the region.
In a Wednesday afternoon update, CalFire said a storm system with cloud-to-ground lightning strikes had forced firefighters to retreat from containment lines.
“Ground operations will resume, and firefighters will reassess fire behavior, as soon as the lightning hazard subsides and safety conditions allow crews to safely re-engage on the lines,” CalFire said.
The flames have neared Highway 1 near Grimes Point, but no structures have been affected yet, as crews have worked to protect structures east of the highway. The southern edge of the fire is only a few miles from the popular McWay Falls viewpoint, where a waterfall famously falls onto the beach.
There are currently 904 firefighting personnel, 36 fire engines, and six helicopters deployed to combat the flames.
Highway 1 had been closed for three years due to landslide repairs, cutting off the northern and southern portions of the region. In January of this year, the road completely reopened.
