Big Sur Fires Threaten 40-Mile Highway 1 Closure as Timber Blaze Reaches 23,343 Acres
Updated
Updated · KQED · Aug 28
Big Sur Fires Threaten 40-Mile Highway 1 Closure as Timber Blaze Reaches 23,343 Acres
3 articles · Updated · KQED · Aug 28
Summary
Timber Fire was only 21% contained Friday after burning 23,343 acres since Aug. 8, while the newer Plaskett Fire had scorched 2,774 acres and both continued to menace Big Sur.
Light rain brought little relief, and forecasters warned drying conditions, isolated thunderstorms and wind gusts near 40 mph could intensify fire behavior, prompting a red flag warning along the central coast.
Highway 1 remains closed for 40 miles from near Gorda to south of Old Coast Road with no reopening timeline, as embers could jump 0.1 to 0.2 miles ahead of the fire front and breach containment lines.
Evacuation orders cover 14 areas near the Timber Fire and two near Plaskett, with additional warnings and shelter-in-place notices; Cal Fire said 661 structures are threatened and 1,228 personnel are deployed.
UC climate scientist Daniel Swain said autumn El Niño conditions could make early September especially dangerous, with unusually warm coastal waters and extreme humidity also raising later flood and debris-flow risks.