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Big Sur Fires: Information, Resources and Map
The Timber Fire in Big Sur started Aug. 8, causing hundreds of residents to evacuate.
The Plaskett Fire started the morning of Aug. 26 and also prompted evacuations.
See below for a list of resources, updates, and a live map of the fires and evacuations.
An evacuation order is a lawful order to leave immediately. An evacuation warning indicates a potential threat to life/property. Prepare to leave. If you need extra time to evacuate, consider doing so now.
For the latest local information on the incident, including evacuations and shelter locations, visit the Monterey County Emergency Information page.
Visit Cal Fire Timber Fire incident page for the latest from Cal Fire on resources and acreage.
An emergency evacuation shelter opened on Aug. 10 at the Carmel Middle School (4380 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel, CA 93923).
Call SPCA Monterey County for help with large animals or other pets during evacuation: 831-373-2631 during the day or 831-646-5534 after hours for emergency assistance. Click the link above for more information.
Air quality information:
Traffic information from Caltrans
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Katie Brown/KAZU NewsThe Plaskett Fire started Wednesday, east of Los Burros Road and south of the growing Timber Fire. A record-breaking endurance athlete is swimming her way down the California Coast. -
Bryan Goldberger/courtesy of Ventana Wilderness AllianceThe Timber Fire has burned 17,817 acres and is moving deeper into the Ventana Wilderness. And, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill expanding privacy protections for those who provide support services for immigrants. -
courtesy/U.S. Forest Service via FacebookThe Timber Fire has now crossed the Big Sur River, and firefighters are preparing for continued growth in the Ventana Wilderness. Plus, firefighters battling the fire have found support from therapy dogs at base camp. -
Big Sur State Parks Facebook Group/via FacebookThe Big Sur Timber Fire has grown to more than 12,000 acres. Santa Cruz County Long Term Recovery Group completes its first full rebuild. And, rental assistance keeps people housed. -
Cal Fire BEU/via FacebookIn this week's local news roundup: evacuation orders downgraded to warning in parts of a Timber Fire zone, a meeting between President Donald Trump and two local families, and CSUMB has a new interim president. -
Ngozi Cole/KAZUFirefighters are making progress on the Timber Fire, but Big Sur will need ongoing support. And, lawmakers want to protect climate programs but cap and invest auctions are bringing in less revenue. -
Jillian Smith/KAZUFirefighters say a challenge on the Timber Fire is getting equipment into the rugged terrain. And, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to limit utilities' liability for wildfire catastrophes their equipment causes. -
Jillian Smith/KAZUFirefighters from across California are using Cal State Monterey Bay as a staging area as they work to contain the Timber Fire in Big Sur. -
Amy Mayer/KAZU NewsCal Fire is now operating its response to the Big Sur Timber Fire from Cal State Monterey Bay. And, President Donald Trump has recognized a Santa Cruz teen lifeguard at the White House. -
Cal Fire BEU/via FacebookThe week-old Timber fire in Big Sur has exceeded 5,000 acres, and is 17% contained. Waymo has announced its robotaxis are coming to Sacramento and San Diego.
New Plaskett Fire evacuation order and warnings
Monterey County has added another evacuation order and two more warnings due to the Plaskett Fire.
Zone MRY-F035 is now under an Evacuation Order (leave now).
Zones MRY-F033 and MRY-F034 are now under an Evacuation Warning.
The additions connect the Timber Fire and Plaskett Fire evacuation warnings.
County corrects road closure
Monterey County has sent out a correction to the Highway 1 road closure that began at 1 p.m. today:
"The highway will be entirely closed to all traffic between Mile Marker 50.1 (between Andrew Molera State Park entrance and the Captain Cooper School entrance) and Mile Marker 45," according to a message from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff issues shelter-in-place, new orders and warnings starting Thursday at 1 p.m.
Firefighting activity planned for Thursday or Friday, depending on weather and fire behavior, has prompted the Monterey County Sheriff's Office to change some of the existing evacuation orders and warnings, and to initiate some shelter-in-place directives.
The following zones have been upgraded from evacuation warnings to evacuation orders:
• MRY-F022
• MRY-F023-A
• MRY-F025
Evacuation warnings have been added for:
• MRY-F019
• MRY-F018
And, the sheriff's office has added the following shelter-in-place directives as "a temporary protective measure to allow active firefighting and backburning operations."
• MRY-F021-B
• MRY-F024
• MRY-F026
• MRY-F027-A
• MRY-F021-A
In a press release, the sheriff's office says anyone choosing to stay put during a shelter-in-place should be prepared to be self-sustaining for up to a week.
Highway 1 will be closed from MM 50 to MM 42.6, also beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday, to support the firefighting efforts and protect safety, according to the statement.
Plaskett Fire starts
Another fire has broken out in Big Sur, south of the Timber Fire. The Plaskett Fire started today east of Los Burros Road. Though it is currently only 40 acres, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation order for Zone MRY-F036. There are also evacuation warnings for Zones MRY-F035 and MRY-F037.
Meanwhile, the Timber Fire is currently the second largest fire in the state. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, it was measured at 18,988 and 23% contained. Ten evacuation orders remain in place for that fire. See the full list of evacuations for both fires in the Resources tab above.
The acreage has been updated since this post originally published.
New evacuation orders and warnings as fire nears 16,000 acres, Los Padres National Forest closures in effect
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office has issued two new evacuation orders for zones MRY-F015-B and MRY-F023-B. The office also issued new evacuation warnings for zones MRY-F015-A, MRY-F020 and MRY-F023-A.
The fire has grown to nearly 16,000 acres and is 26% contained.
A large swath of the Los Padres National Forest is closed, including the popular Pine Ridge trail that leads to Sykes Hot Springs. See a full list of closed trails here.
Timber Fire grows to over 12,600 acres, Highway 1 reopened over the weekend
Dry conditions continue to prevail, as CalFire reports the Timber Fire's northern and eastern boundaries have merged, causing an increase in acreage in the Ventana Wilderness towards Ventana Cone peak. The rugged terrain of the mountains means that aircraft will be supporting crews with water and retardant drops.
As of this morning, CalFire reported that 661 structures were threatened.
Highway 1 reopened in both directions on Saturday, after 12 days of closure.
Significant increase in fire activity prompts new round of evacuations
Dry conditions fueled increased fire activity over the weekend, causing the Timber Fire to grow significantly. Cal Fire reports the fire is 12,108 acres in size, and 25% contained as of Sunday afternoon.
The fire has prompted more evacuation orders and warnings. See the full list on our resources and map tabs.
Monterey County's Office of Emergency Services and CalFire continue to maintain up-to-date incident pages.
Partial zone evacuation order downgraded, fire acreage reaches 5,530 acres
The Monterey County Sheriff's office reports that Zone MRY-F027 has been split into two zones, MRY-F027-A and MRY- F027-B.
For Zone MRY-F027-A, the Evacuation Order has been reduced to an Evacuation Warning.
Zone MRY-F027-B remains under an Evacuation Order.
Also, the county says the temporary shelter at Carmel Middle School has been closed, with the Big Sur River Inn providing places for the two remaining evacuees to stay.
The fire is currently estimated at about 5,530 acres, per the monitoring app Watch Duty.
Several evacuation orders downgraded to warnings
Zones MRY-F023, MRY-F025, and MRY-F026 are now under an evacuation warning, downgraded from a previous evacuation order.
Cal Fire reported there was minimal fire activity last night as firefighting operations continue.
An evacuation warning remains in place for: MRY-FO21-B, MRY-FO22, MRY-F024, MRY-FO23, MRY-F025, MRY-F026, MRY-F028-B, and MRY-FO29. Evacuation orders are in place for MRY-F027 and MRY-F028-A. See our live map for details.
Assume that an evacuation order could follow an evacuation warning, and take time to prepare now.
From the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services information page: "We ask everyone in the affected areas to continue to monitor fire updates for the latest information and changes to fire activity. When an Evacuation Warning is issued, assume an evacuation order could follow. This is your window to get ready: pack a go-bag, gather essential items, and make arrangements, especially if you have pets, large animals, or if you need extra time or assistance to leave."
As of 4 p.m., the fire's size is being reported at 5,269 acres and is 21% contained.
Cal Fire | 
Cal Fire
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Acreage tops 5,000, containment up to 17%
As of 6:00 p.m. on Sunday Aug. 16, the Timber Fire has grown to 5,103 acres and containment is now 17%, according to Cal Fire.
Monterey County officials say seven people and one dog are staying overnight at the temporary shelter set up at Carmel Middle School and 26 people are registered for meals there.
In addition to the existing evacuation orders, which remain in place, some additional areas of the Los Padres National Forest have been closed. Details on the closure are here.
The 10-mile closure of Hwy. 1 in both directions near the fire continues.
The Timber Fire is now 4,655 acres, 12% contained
PG&E is reporting a power outage in areas near the fire, affecting an estimated 89 customers.
A temporary evacuation point (TEP) was added on Friday, 8/14 at Carmel Valley Library, 65 W. Carmel Valley Rd. This evacuation point is open Friday, Aug. 14 through Monday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day.
From the Monterey County Department of Emergency Management:
Questions call (831) 647-7760 or (800) 322-6884 and follow the phone prompts to the library. Call or visit for updates, resources, and connecting residents of Big Sur and other impacted areas with support related to the Timber Fire. Free parking, free wireless internet.
The TEP provides a designated location for evacuees to temporarily gather, receive incident information and resource referrals, and coordinate next steps as conditions evolve. Residents in Evacuation Order Areas can request sheltering resources at the TEP in person.
The TEP is staffed by Monterey Free Libraries. Snacks and water are provided.Monterey County Department of Emergency Management
Highway 1 remains closed from mile marker 45.1 to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point at mile marker 31. Evacuation orders and warnings are still in place.
Timber Fire Update: 4,545 acres with 7% containment.
The Timber Fire is currently mapped at 4,545 acres, with 7% containment, according to Cal Fire. About 1,400 firefighters are responding to the blaze.
U.S. Hwy 1 remains closed from mile marker 45.1 to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point at mile marker 31.
Click the Timber Fire Map tab above to see the latest evacuation zones