Big Sur wildfire evacuation orders lifted, all residents can return home; fire 55% contained
All evacuation orders have been lifted Wednesday as firefighters strengthened control lines and mopped up hot spots at a wildfire along California’s Big Sur coast, authorities said.
Fire activity was minimal overnight, with higher humidity and light winds, Cal Fire said, and weather was expected to remain favorable through the day. The wildfire was 55% contained Wednesday afternoon. It remained at around 700 acres.
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The 700-acre wildfire along California's picturesque Big Sur coastline was sparked by hot embers from a "pile burning operation," authorities said Tuesday evening.
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jon Heggie told the San Francisco Chronicle that the burn pile appeared to have been on private property and whether the residents had a required burn permit was under investigation.
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The blaze, named the Colorado Fire for its origin in the Palo Colorado Canyon, sped to the state's coastline on Friday night, pushed by wind gusts of up to 50 mph. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, said high winds blew the embers onto nearby vegetation, which then sparked the fire. Some 500 residents had been ordered to evacuate. All residents were allowed to return home Wednesday.
“Obviously when there’s fire danger and high winds are blowing it’s not a good idea to have debris burning at any point, just because of the potential of starting a fire,” Heggie told the newspaper.
The order remained in effect as of Tuesday evening, and Highway 1 from Palo Colorado Road to the Bixby Creek Bridge was closed in both directions with no reopening date.
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"Currently, that stretch of roadway contains many potential hazards, including fire, falling rock, and heavy emergency services vehicles," Monterey County said. "Safety is our number one priority. An increase in traffic on the roadway could create additional hazards."
Only one structure has been damaged in the fire, according to CalFire, The blaze was 45% contained as of late Tuesday.
The Monterey County Health Department on Sunday warned residents in the area to boil their water because of possible damage to system infrastructure.
Area residents can sign up for Monterey County wildfire safety, road closure information and alerts by clicking here.
USA Today and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: California wildfire: Evacuations lifted for Big Sur coastal blaze
