Firefighters make progress on Timber Fire in Big Sur while Plaskett Fire rages on

By Tim Fang

Firefighters battling two large wildfires in California’s Big Sur region said Thursday that while they are making progress on the Timber Fire, the larger Plaskett Fire continues to grow.

According to updates posted by Cal Fire on Thursday morning, the Plaskett Fire has burned 29,123 acres and is 1% contained. Meanwhile, the Timber Fire has burned 25,226 acres and is 23% contained.

The Timber Fire started on Aug. 8 southeast of Loma Vista in the Los Padres National Forest, while the Plaskett Fire started on Aug. 26 southeast of the community of Plaskett in far southern Monterey County. Combined, both fires have burned more than 54,000 acres, an area larger than the city of Oakland.

The cause of both fires, which are burning about 25 miles apart, is under investigation.

Progress In Battling Timber Fire

“The Timber Fire held largely steady overnight, with fire behavior remaining moderate and minimal additional growth reported during the previous operational period,” officials said in their Thursday morning update.

Firefighters also noted favorable weather conditions were playing a role.

“Cooler temperatures and better humidity recovery are giving suppression crews a favorable window to build on recent progress,” officials added.

With progress being made, officials said some evacuation orders involving the Timber Fire have been lifted and shelter-in-place orders that were enacted on Aug. 27 were also lifted. A portion of Highway 1 near the fire has also reopened.

Plaskett Fire Remains Challenging

“The Plaskett Fire remains far more volatile, with continued growth reported across portions of the incident. Steep, rugged terrain, heavy vegetation, and limited access are all complicating suppression efforts,” officials said Thursday morning.

Firefighters on the Plaskett Fire were focused Thursday on limiting further spread of the fire, defending structures and protecting critical infrastructure.

A stretch of Highway 1 near the fire, between the Monterey County / San Luis Obispo County line and mile marker 16 in Pacific Valley, remains closed.

Officials have not said when through traffic in Big Sur would resume.

Latest on Evacuations

Multiple evacuation orders and evacuation warnings remain in effect in both Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.

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.  

Fire shelters at the Carmel Mission Inn conference room in Carmel and the Cambria Veterans Memorial Building in Cambria remain open Thursday.