Cal Fire said Sunday that the actual number of people affected by the evacuation is hard to estimate because numerous homes are vacation properties.
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Crews at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif., made headway against the Chimney Fire, which has burned more than 30,000 acres halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Cal Fire reported Sunday that 48 structures had been destroyed and seven damaged. The fire has destroyed 57 homes and charred 133 square miles, Cal Fire said.
The fire burning timber in remote, mountainous backcountry was 50 percent contained and was expected to burn at least until the end of September.
Hot, dry and windy conditions have created a flawless storm for the spread of large wildfires in several western states, including a massive blaze in California that has destroyed 135-square miles of forest.
Since Monday, the number of resources assigned has increased, with 324 engines, 62 water tenders, 17 helicopters, 107 hand crews, 46 bulldozers and seven air tankers fighting the fire that started August 13 just south of Nacimiento Lake.
California’s iconic Hearst Castle appeared to have escaped the wrath of the Chimney Fire as the blaze continued to devour hundreds of acres on Tuesday – and the battle was far from over.
But by constantly putting the fires out, more unburned brush is left to fuel the next one.
The human-caused blaze reported Sunday has taken off in the last several days due to dry conditions and winds up to 40 miles per hour.
In Oregon, a fast-moving wildfire first spotted Sunday afternoon quickly became one of the state’s largest active blazes, according to the AP.
Hearst Castle, the palatial ocean-view estate popular among tourists, remains closed because of proximity to the fire.
There were 200 structures threatened, with 12 homes destroyed and 20 damaged. It has burned 58 square miles. That’s about the same amount of acres now on fire in all the U.S, all of which are burning in eight western states.
On Monday officials estimated the southern edge of the fire was approximately two miles away from the castle.
This photo provided by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection shows smoke billowing from a wildfire in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A central Idaho wildfire expanded to 150 square miles and residents of about 125 homes in the area remained under low-level evacuation notices. Officials say the fire’s size was reduced from 80 square miles due to better mapping.
Ward says the fire near the town of Richfield is about 27 percent contained and not threatening any homes.
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-Hearst Castle will remain closed Monday, according to officials at the California State Park. This brings the total acreage of the inferno dubbed the “Chimney Fire” to 37,101 as of the early morning hours on Tuesday Aug. 23.
