With firefighters already struggling to contain the Timber fire in Big Sur, a second wildfire in the region grew rapidly Friday — sending flames in the direction of Highway 1.
The Plaskett fire, which ignited Tuesday in a remote area about 30 miles down the coast from where the Timber fire started, exploded from about 140 acres Thursday to roughly 5,900 acres by 9 p.m. Friday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
As the Plaskett fire continues to grow, more evacuation orders and warnings were issued across the region.
“The Plaskett grew today in part [due] to the red flag weather conditions we experienced in the fire area,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Josh Silveira wrote in a text message.
As a result, he said, Cal Fire had difficulties flying an “intel” plane over the area.
The fire was approaching Highway 1 just south of Plaskett Ridge Road, the department said in a Friday afternoon update that included several photos where flames could be seen near the pivotal scenic highway.
It also warned, “fire behavior is beginning to increase.”
Silveira said the fire was still headed toward Highway 1 as of Friday evening. It was not immediately clear how close it was to the road.
California Highway Patrol, which previously closed a 40-mile stretch of Highway 1 in the area of the fires, said Friday it had adjusted the bounds of the closure. The highway is now closed from Little Sur River (mile marker 56) in the north to Gorda (mile marker 10.1) in the south.
Big Sur’s micro-climate makes firefighting complicated: The relative humidity drops at night, making fires grow rapidly, Silveira has said.
About 180 personnel have been assigned to the Plaskett fire, and 1,600 have been assigned to the Timber fire.
The Timber fire, which has been burning since Aug. 8, grew only slightly on Friday. It has burned about 23,300 acres so far, with 21% containment.
Lee Beyer, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, said on Thursday that fires lasting from three to eight weeks are “pretty typical” for the region, due to the terrain and remoteness of the forest.
“Sometimes they’ll go all the way up until we get a season-ending rain or snow event,” he said. “When the fuels and the weather aren’t helping you, that certainly leaves it as a possibility that this could continue for at least a few more weeks.”
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