Meteorologists warned that dry thunderstorms and gusty winds on Friday could hinder the efforts of firefighters wrestling with wildfires near Big Sur and increase the risk that new fires could spark and spread along California’s Central Coast.
The Timber fire, which began earlier this month, had grown to nearly 20,000 acres on Thursday, becoming the third largest fire in California this year. Its flames have threatened more than 600 structures in the small coastal community in Monterey County and forced around 1,000 residents from their homes. About 30 miles south of Big Sur, the smaller Plaskett fire has also led to evacuations.
The fires have temporarily closed a portion of Highway 1 along the spectacular coastline, which is popular with road trippers, and some of the coveted destinations along its length, but so far they have not burned any structures or caused any injuries, according to Nick Pasculli, a spokesman for Monterey County.
Meteorologists looking ahead to Friday’s forecast issued red flag warnings along the Central Coast. They warned that rare summer storms could help the existing fires spread and that dry lightning up and down the coast could set off new wildfires.
“It’s a very volatile situation with these fires, and we have to always be prepared to issue more evacuation warnings and orders because our No. 1 priority is the preservation of life and the preservation of property,” Mr. Pasculli said.
Thunderstorms are often associated with rain that can help put out fires, but there’s a chance that Friday’s storms will bring just lightning and winds — with any rain that falls from them evaporating before it reaches the ground.
Lamont Bain, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Monterey, called Friday’s forecast “a low-confidence, high-impact scenario.”
The possibility of dry thunderstorms was only about 15 to 30 percent across Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties. But if they do move through this area, lightning strikes could start new fires that would spread rapidly in gusty winds, according to the Weather Service. The winds could reach up to 50 miles per hour on Friday.
The Timber fire is burning east of Highway 1 in the higher elevations of the mountains that rise above the coastline. The vegetation in this area is parched and flammable because it sits well above the reach of the coastal fog that keeps the rest of the landscape moist.
“The weather has been challenging all along with this fire,” Mr. Pasculli said.
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