The Soberanes Fire as seen on Monday, in the Palo Colorado Canyon area near Big Sur.
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“We wanted to see more of the ocean”, said Phoenix-area tourist Jim Newby, who drove along the highway with his family Tuesday. LA County Fire places the Sand Fire at 33,117 Acres with 2964 firefighters now assigned. “We didn’t see a whole lot of it unfortunately, and it’s a lovely, handsome stretch”.
A fast-growing wildfire that scorched 14,897 acres along the coastline near Big Sur has destroyed 20 homes and is threatening more than 1,600 other structures, officials say. It was 40 percent contained.
The fire has burned more than 51 square miles (132.09 sq. kilometers) of ridges and canyons between Los Angeles and suburban Santa Clarita since Friday.
Closures are also in place at Andrew Molera State Park, Point Sur Lighthouse, Pine Ridge Trail at Los Padres National Forest, Mt. Manuel Trail at Los Padres National Forest, Garrapata State Park and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, state park officials said.
The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) said in a statement that “skies are hazy and fine particulate concentrations are higher than normal” because of the fire. While the road officially remains open, Monterey County Sheriff Steve Bernal discourages drivers from using it.
(AP Photo/Nick Ut). Lane Leavitt, who trains stunt actors and specializes in setting people on fire for movies and television, poses Tuesday, July 26, 2016, in his home that escaped damage when the Sand fire swept through Santa Clarita, Calif. over the.
Meanwhile in Wyoming, a large backcountry wildfire in the Shoshone National Forest put about 290 homes and guest ranches at risk.
Acting Gov. Tom Torlakson, substituting for Gov.
The declaration issued Tuesday frees up state resources and temporarily sets aside regulations for the firefight and the recovery.
As of Tuesday night, some 3,000 firefighters hacked through dense brush and chaparral and had extended containment lines around 25 percent of the fire, which has charred 59 square miles since Friday, officials said.
Considering the sizable overlap of California’s main tourism season and fire season, as well as predictions of another nasty year for forest and wildland fires, it has become increasingly important to factor fire danger into summer travel plans. But most evacuations ordered for about 10,000 homes with an estimated 20,000 residents were lifted.
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Crews battling a deadly wildfire in rugged drought-stricken terrain north of Los Angeles on Wednesday face a second consecutive day of scorching weather and erratic winds that could hinder their efforts.
