Twin Big Sur wildfires shut down Highway 1 as new blaze races toward coast

Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times on Aug 29, 2026

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With firefighters already struggling to contain the Timber fire in Big Sur, California, a second wildfire in the region grew rapidly Friday and into Saturday — sending flames in the direction of Highway 1.

The Plaskett fire, which ignited Tuesday in a remote area about 30 miles down the coast from where the Timber fire started, exploded from about 140 acres Thursday to roughly 5,924 acres by Saturday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

As the Plaskett fire continues to grow, more evacuation orders and warnings were issued across the region. Most recently, the Los Padres National Forest issued an order, effective Friday night, establishing an emergency closure for the Monterey Ranger District.

"The Plaskett grew (Friday) in part (due) to the red flag weather conditions we experienced in the fire area," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Josh Silveira wrote in a text message.

As a result, he said, Cal Fire had difficulties flying an "intel" plane over the area.

The fire was approaching Highway 1 just south of Plaskett Ridge Road, the department said in a Friday afternoon update that included several photos where flames could be seen near the pivotal scenic highway.

It also warned, "fire behavior is beginning to increase."

Silveira said the fire was still headed toward Highway 1 as of Friday evening. By Saturday morning, the department said in an update, one section of the fire — just south of Plaskett Ridge Road — made it to the edge of Highway 1, but not onto it. It was not immediately clear exactly how close it was to the road.

California Highway Patrol, which previously closed a 40-mile stretch of Highway 1 in the area of the fires, said Friday it had adjusted the bounds of the closure. The highway is now closed from Little Sur River (mile marker 56) in the north to Gorda (mile marker 10.1) in the south.

Big Sur's micro-climate makes firefighting complicated: The relative humidity drops at night, making fires grow rapidly, Silveira has said.

About 481 personnel have been assigned to the Plaskett fire, and 1,600 have been assigned to the Timber fire.

The Timber fire, which has been burning since Aug. 8, grew only slightly on Friday. It has burned about 24,408 acres so far, with 23% containment.

Lee Beyer, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, said on Thursday that fires lasting from three to eight weeks are "pretty typical" for the region, due to the terrain and remoteness of the forest.

"Sometimes they'll go all the way up until we get a season-ending rain or snow event," he said. "When the fuels and the weather aren't helping you, that certainly leaves it as a possibility that this could continue for at least a few more weeks."