A deadly wildfire that continues to spread near California’s scenic Big Sur was started by an illegal camp fire, a fire official said Tuesday.
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A layer of ocean air that arrived in the mountainous Big Sur region was credited for the better conditions in an area where a fire that started July 22 has destroyed 57 homes and is threatening 2,000 more structures. The blaze was 5 percent contained Sunday, Cal Fire said.
Firefighters got help from a low marine layer Monday that brought a spike in humidity and dropped temperatures into the 60s and 70s.
The more than 5,450 firefighting personnel battling the blaze have been able to draw containment lines, a measure of how much of its perimeter has been cleared by fire crews of unburned vegetation, that is just 18% of the wildfire so far.
Flames destroyed six houses and mobile homes, two vehicles and several out-buildings at historic Hardscrabble Ranch, according to Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal officials.
Santa Barbara County Firefighters hold a wildfire from crossing a fire break on the India Division near Cachagua in east Carmel Valley, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016.
The National Interagency Fire Center’s monthly outlook, released Monday, says the the potential for big fires will remain above normal during August in parts of California, Idaho, Nevada and Utah because of dry grass and bushes.
Efforts to quell the Soberanes fire have been complicated by steep, rugged terrain and persistently hot, dry weather, said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the fire command.
Investigators estimate that the fire won’t be fully contained until the end of the month.
“The winds are pushing a little bit west today and we are concentrating more on structure protection and constructing fire lines along the edge to hold the fire”, said Maria Lara of Cal Fire.
In Montana, firefighters were bracing for strong winds as they battled a blaze in western Montana that destroyed 14 homes and may have contributed to a man’s death.
In neighboring Bridger-Teton National Forest, a fire that has burned about 45 square miles was 81 percent contained. Residents of about 630 homes southwest of Hamilton were evacuated while another 215 homes were warned to be ready to leave. On Tuesday afternoon, it was determined that the impromptu campfire, about 2 feet in diameter, was responsible, Jaques said. Residents of about 75 homes that had been evacuated last week were allowed to return.
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It prompted an evacuation of Canyon Creek Resort and Golden Bear Estates in Winters, fire officials said. It’s almost 70 percent contained.
