California Wildfire Near Big Sur Continues to Rage; Hundreds of Residents Still Evacuated

More than 500 residents around the Big Sur area remained evacuated Sunday amid the California wildfire. The wildfire also caused the state's historic Pacific Coast Highway to be shut down in both directions.

Cecile Juliette, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told Associated Press that a reduction in strong winds allowed firefighters to control the flames better.

California Wildfire Known as Colorado Fire

Known as the Colorado Fire, USA Today News reported that the wildfire in California has ravaged through 1,050 acres and was 25 percent contained as of Sunday.

According to CalFire, the Colorado Fire started in the Palo Colorado Canyon on Friday, with one structure reported damaged due to the fire.

In addition, a stretch of Highway 1 between Garrapata Creek to Point Sur remained closed in both ways. CalFire wrote on its website that the Colorado Fire's behavior was moderate and made wind-driven runs late Saturday night into Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service (NWS) noted that the blaze was "stubbornly active overnight." Meanwhile, the cause of the fire is still under investigation, The New York Times reported.

Some Twitter users speculate about the cause of the California wildfire. One user with a handle @vagabondvivant said, "there is no doubt in my mind this was caused by one person."

The NWS said that pictures on social media suggest some "pretty surreal fire behavior" with the wet October and December that was seen across the region. The agency added that it seems that the long-term drought is acting like a chronic illness where even recent rains are not helping to keep fires from developing.

George Nuñez, a captain with Cal Fire, said that's everybody says that California has a year-round fire season, adding that the Colorado Fire is just part of it. That prompted Twitter user @enthvannu to ask if fires are going to be around the year now.

Nuñez said 120 firefighters were on the scene on Friday night and Saturday. However, the intense wind conditions and steep terrain made it difficult for the crews to contain the fire.

In addition, decreased staffing during what was expected to be the off-season has made the fire containment even more challenging.

Nuñez said the unit has 17 fully staffed fire engines during peak fire season. But that number was reduced when the official fire season ended on January 3. He noted that more than 100 seasonal firefighters were laid off for a period of three months. The weather agency noted that California's drought conditions are possible for the unusual January fire.

American Red Cross Opened a Shelter Amid California Wildfire

The American Red Cross opened a shelter late Friday evening for some residents who received mandatory evacuation orders due to the Colorado Fire, according to CBS News.

The emergency shelter for residents of the Palo Colorado area of Monterey County opened at 11:30 p.m. in Carmel Middle School.

Residents and firefighters in the area are encouraged to monitor light southward winds that could change the direction of the fire's spread. Nuñez said the extended drought messes up with the agency's funding calendar.

The CalFire chief noted that the funding is only available for a certain period of time, adding that they cannot run the seasonal programs longer.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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