The Timber Fire started near Big Sur on Sunday. Cal FireLATEST August 10, 5:30 pm The Timber Fire in Big Sur has spread to 1,723 acres, according to the latest update from Cal Fire. The fire remains at 5% containment. The fire forced the evacuation of Esalen Institute, a historic retreat center in Big Sur. Article continues below this advertisement. The Timber Fire burned at least 800 acres as of 11:30 a.m. Monday. Cal Fire “Pray for Big Sur and the Timber Fire. It seems to double every 6 hours. We are evacuating @esalen and are closed until the fire is contained,” Esalen President Dave Morin wrote in a social media post Monday. In the afternoon. Additionally, the California Highway Patrol announced it would close Highway 1 to the public at the Point Sur Lighthouse and at Vista Point near highway mile marker 37.5 due to the spread of the fire and evacuations. 10, 12:55 pm The Timber Fire in Big Sur is spreading rapidly and burning at least 1,300 acres, according to the latest update from Cal Fire. The fire has increased more than 50% since around 6 a.m. this morning, according to the aircraft’s sensors. Article continues below this advertisement. Three areas are under evacuation orders near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. A summary of the areas under evacuation orders and warnings can be found on the Genasys map. Containment of the fire remained at 5%. August 10, 11:25 a.m. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued a new evacuation order for the area south of the Timber Fire in Big Sur along the Central Coast. The fire is currently reported to cover 800 acres with 5% containment. In a statement, the sheriff’s office warned residents to leave the area immediately due to the current risk. Areas under evacuation order include parts of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Highway 1. Notable businesses in the heart of Big Sur evacuated in the last 24 hours include the Henry Miller Library and Nepenthe. The Timber Fire spread rapidly overnight, doubling from 400 acres. The Los Padres National Forest is leading the response, along with assistance from Cal Fire. Article continues below this advertisement. Video taken by Montery County Sheriff’s Office deputies Sunday night showed flames along the hills lighting up the night sky. No injuries or deaths have been reported due to the fire. Currently, the luxury Alila Ventana Big Sur resort remains essentially closed after staff and guests were evacuated. Sebastian Gurevich, general manager of the resort where an overnight stay can cost thousands of dollars, said all guests were evacuated and moved to hotel properties in Carmel and Monterey as of Monday morning. “Resort operations will remain suspended while the Evacuation Order is in effect,” Gurevich said in the statement sent to SFGATE. “We remain in close communication with local emergency authorities and will continue to closely monitor the situation and follow their instructions.” Hotel guests who would like to inquire about an upcoming stay can call the Hyatt Global Contact Center at 800-233-1234. Article continues below this advertisementAug. 10, 8:44 a.m. A wildfire spreading near Big Sur doubled in size overnight and reached 800 acres by Monday morning, according to Cal Fire. The Timber Fire broke out Sunday morning in Monterey County southeast of Loma Vista and was 5% contained as of 6:30 a.m. On Sunday night around 8 p.m., the Los Padres National Forest said in a news release that the fire was burning in “steep, rugged terrain” and firefighters had observed an increase in fire behavior. “The fire is in a remote location with difficult access. Containment efforts continue to be hampered due to terrain and access conditions,” the Facebook post said. The evacuation order was issued shortly before 11 p.m. for areas near the fire, including parts of Highway 1 and the luxury Alila Ventana Big Sur resort near Post Creek. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to “LEAVE NOW!” due to the risk, saying the order was issued “due to an immediate threat to life and property due to an emergency incident.” Access our new app with ad-free reading, curated maps, and more. GET IT NOW Areas under evacuation warning include parts of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Complete information about areas under evacuation orders and warnings can be found on the Genasys map. Article continues below this advertisement. The response to the fire is led by the Los Padres National Forest. No injuries or deaths have been reported in the fire and the cause remains under investigation. A high pressure ridge in the desert Southwest has caused a heat dome, causing hot, dry weather across much of central and southern California in recent days, increasing the risk of fire danger. Several fires have broken out in recent weeks, and more than 4,300 wildfires have been reported in California so far this year. About 228,390 acres have burned this year and one death has been reported.
