Cal Fire firefighters extinguish hotspots while fighting the Soberanes Fire in Palo Colorado Canyon on the northern Big Sur Coast on Tuesday July 26, 2016 in Big Sur, Calif. California’s signature parks.
Advertisement
The wildfire has burned almost 24,000 acres and is still going strong.
The fire, which is chewing its way through rugged and hard-to-access terrain, is only 10 percent contained, Cal Fire officials said.
So far, 34 homes have been destroyed in the fire and about 300 residents have fled the areas as part of mandatory evacuations that have been issued in several communities south of Monterey and the upscale Carmel-By-The-Sea.
Cal Fire rescue crews spotted the hikers, all of whom were men, on Tuesday, according to JoAnna Butron, a spokeswoman for the Monterrey County’s Sheriff’s Department.
Acting California Governor Tom Torlakson declared on Tuesday a state of emergency for Los Angeles and Monterey counties.
The declaration issued Tuesday frees up state resources and temporarily sets aside regulations for the firefight and the recovery.
In Los Angeles County, the lone fatality in the Sand Fire was identified as Robert Bresnick, 67, whose body was found Saturday inside a burned-out vehicle in a driveway, county officials said.
Some 3,000 firefighters battling the so-called Sand Fire in the Angeles National Forest extended containment lines around 40 percent of the 38,350-acre (15,520 hectare) blaze by Wednesday morning, according to fire information officer Sam Wu.
“We wanted to see more of the ocean”, said Phoenix-area tourist Jim Newby, who drove along the highway with his family Tuesday.
Gov. Matt Mead activated a National Guard helicopter to assist, and more specialized firefighters and large air tankers are being added as the blaze burns out of control.
Firefighters working around the clock got a break early Wednesday from cooler temperatures and increased humidity.
The Big Sur closures were put into place for parks that draw 7,500 visitors a day from around the world for their dramatic vistas of ocean and mountains.
She said the hikers were airlifted to a safe area.
About a dozen exotic animals displaced by the blaze began returning to a sanctuary in the Los Angeles suburb of Sylmar on Wednesday.
Advertisement
The fire in rugged wilderness between the northern edge of Los Angeles and the suburban city of Santa Clarita grew slightly to almost 60 square miles (154 square kilometers).
