Wind-whipped fire erupts in Big Sur, forcing evacuations and closing Highway 1
Update, Saturday, 8 a.m.:
The fire has reportedly grow to 1,500 acres overnight.
Cal Fire told KSBW the fire has grown to 1,500 acres and was at 5% containment as of Saturday morning.
The National Weather Service tweeted early Saturday that the area burning appears to have “little or no fire history.”
“Anecdotally it seems as though the long-term drought is acting like a chronic illness where even recent rains and cold winter (weather ) isn’t helping to keep fires from developing,” the NWS tweeted.
Winds were a large factor in the fire’s original explosive growth, and those could return as a concern today, according to the weather agency. No rain is forecast for the area in the near future.
Update, 11 p.m.:
Highway 1 is now closed in both directions due to the Colorado Fire in Big Sur.
According to Caltrans, the highway is now closed in both directions from near the entrance to Andrew Molera State Park in Big Sur to Rio Road in Carmel.
Motorists are advised to be aware of emergency responders in those areas.
Original story:
A wind-whipped fire broke out in Big Sur on Friday night, shutting down part of Highway 1.
The fire was first reported around 7:30 p.m., according to CHP’s traffic incident page, in the area of Palo Colorado Canyon and Rocky Creek.
Around 9:40 p.m., the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for all areas west of 3800 Palo Colorado Road to Highway 1 south of Bixby Creek. The evacuation orders are mandatory.
KCRA 3 reported the blaze, which has been labeled the Colorado Fire, was between 75 and 100 acres as of Friday evening, in an area that is difficult for Cal Fire crews to access.
Around 10 p.m., Caltrans District 5 spokesman Jim Shivers tweeted that Highway 1 is closed at Rio Road in Carmel due to the brush fire.
The Monterey County Office of Emergency Services said Friday night it was monitoring the fire in support of law enforcement and fire personnel but did not provider further details on evacuations or emergency response.
The fire is likely being exacerbated by strong winds throughout California this evening.
According to the National Weather Service, humidity in that area is in the teens with gusts of around 35 mph reported.
This story was originally published January 21, 2022 at 10:12 PM.
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