3 Monterey County fires closer to containment as evacuation orders begin to lift
The Dolan Fire near Big Sur has burned more than 20,000 acres over the course of a week, and the U.S. Forest Service predicts it will continue to burn in some capacity for two more weeks.
Firefighters were able to increase containment of the wildfire from 10% to 15% throughout the day Monday. Full containment is expected by mid-day Sept. 16, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The U.S. Forest Service said in a news release that fire behavior was subdued by the marine layer on Monday night. However, the fire spread an additional 122 acres since Monday evening, reaching a total of 20,213 acres as of Tuesday, according to the agency.
On Tuesday, a total of 662 personnel were on the scene of the blaze, with 46 fire engines, 11 hand crews, seven water tenders and bulldozers, four helicopters and one fixed wing airplane.
Firefighters expected to face “low-intensity backing fires” in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, where they set out to provide structure protection, according to the U.S. Forest Service release.
Fire crews were expected to focus on enhancing contingency lines along the north and south edges of the fire. They also planned to scout for and build dozer lines, according to the news release.
The Dolan Fire, burning between Limekiln and Big Sur, was believed to have been intentionally set Tuesday night. Ivan Geronimo Gomez, a 30-year-old Fresno man,was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of starting the Dolan Fire, according to a Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post.
Highway 1 remained closed Tuesday near mile marker 38 at Troy Canyon in the north and at Hermitage south of the fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The fire continued to threatened the communities of Hermitage, Partington Ridge and Lucia, where evacuation orders remained in place. Multiple businesses and recreational sites were also threatened as of Tuesday morning.
Along with communities and businesses, the U.S. Forest Service said threatened and endangered species including California condors are in danger as the fire nears the Ventana Wilderness and coastal watershed areas.
Other Monterey County fires closer to containment
Firefighters were also able to increase containment of the Carmel Fire in Carmel Valley and the River Fire just south of Salinas, according to Cal Fire.
The increased containment allowed for some evacuation orders and warnings to be lifted near both of the fires.
The Carmel Fire held at 6,695 acres on Tuesday morning, with no further spread since Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire.
As of Tuesday morning, the fire in Carmel Valley was 30% contained with full containment expected by Sept. 6, according to Cal Fire.
The Carmel Fire destroyed 51 structures, damaged 12 and continued to threaten 462 as of Tuesday morning, Cal Fire reported.
Cal Fire had assessed about 54% of the damaged buildings as of Monday morning. According to the agency’s investigation, 35 of the destroyed structures were homes, while 16 were minor structures.
The River Fire did not spread any further Monday into Tuesday, according to Cal Fire. As of Tuesday, 48,424 acres had burned.
The fire was 33% contained and also expected to reach full containment by Sept. 6, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire reported that the fire could continue to burn to the south due to shifting winds from the northeast and northwest.
As of Tuesday morning, 21 structures were destroyed, eight of which were homes, according to Cal Fire.
Nine additional structures were damaged and 356 were continued to be threatened by the fire, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire said their damage inspection is about 52% complete.
How to help fire victims
Although some evacuation orders have been lifted, many remain in place in Monterey County.
The Community Foundation for Monterey County created a Monterey County Fire Relief Fund to help those affected by the Dolan, River and Salinas fires. Donations can be made online, via phone at 831-375-9712 or by mail at Community Foundation for Monterey County, 2354 Garden Road, Monterey, CA 93940. (Make checks payable to the foundation and note “Monterey County Fire Relief,” “Carmel Valley Relief” or “Big Sur Relief” in the memo line.)
Supplies can also be donated directly at Seaside High School, 2200 Noche Buena St. in Seaside, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Additional volunteer and donation information can be found at MontereyCo.Recovers.org.
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 10:43 AM.
