Overview
- A fast-growing Plaskett Fire that began Wednesday, Aug. 26 has surged to about 8,241 acres with roughly 1% containment while the longer-running Timber Fire, which started Aug. 8, is near 24,839 acres and about 21% contained.
- Officials have closed long stretches of Highway 1 to support operations and public safety, with closure points adjusted between areas near Little Sur River and Salmon Creek and no firm reopening date announced.
- Evacuation orders and warnings have expanded across multiple zones, hundreds of structures are reported threatened, and evacuation shelters have been set up as thousands of residents and visitors face disruptions.
- Fire crews have deployed more than 2,800 personnel across both incidents along with helicopters, dozers, hand crews and tactical firing operations, and teams are using night flights and defensible-space burns where safe to protect homes.
- Incident managers say erratic winds, low humidity and heavy fuels that have not burned for decades make containment difficult, containment could take weeks to months, and national resource strain limits immediate reinforcements.