In Southern California, another 58-square-mile fire had charred more than one hundred homes so far but has been nearly entirely contained.
Advertisement
The blaze in San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties remains 35 percent contained after destroying 36 homes.
Hearst Castle, which became a state park after William Randolph Hearst died in 1951, is one of California’s biggest tourist attractions and home to his vast art collection.
The Chimney fire has challenged firefighters, who thought they had gained the upper hand before winds picked up and it exploded over the weekend, officials said.
Fire crews will always put protection of people over protection of property, and that can leave less-populated areas that were fully evacuated less protected – and more likely to burn.
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.
As of Tuesday morning, no more mandatory evacuations are in place, and residents are allowed back in their homes with proof of residency in most areas. But by constantly putting the fires out, more unburned brush is left to fuel the next one.
The fire jumped the Spokane River and threatened the small community of Wellpinit on the Spokane Indian Reservation.
That is because the amount of firefighting equipment and personnel are limited resources, and when almost a dozen other fires are burning in California, fire managers are in competition for all those engines and aircraft and people.
A house trailer burned before the fire was contained but the person living there escaped, KECI-TV reported.
The Soberanes Fire has been burning for a month and is 60 percent contained.
Cal Fire spokesman Mike Yuli says a wind shift caused the fire to cross a containment line Saturday afternoon, leading authorities to issue an evacuation warning to two communities north of Lake Nacimiento, about 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Just north of Big Sur, California’s largest fire grew held steady at 135 square miles in rugged wilderness coast along Highway 1.
More than 400 homes remained threatened by the fire.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, a 58-square-mile fire that destroyed 105 homes in Southern California was nearly entirely contained and all evacuation orders were lifted.
