The Timber Fire in Big Sur has now reached more than five thousand acres, and is currently 17% contained.
Officials have issued a new order blocking anyone from entering nearby parts of the Los Padres National Forest, on top of the evacuation orders in place for neighboring residents.
Nancy Phillipe, a spokesperson for the US Forest Service, says the order is meant to “enhance safety and keep folks out of the area where there are active fire operations.”
“We're just asking the public to stay out of that area at this point in time so that we can focus on getting equipment and crews and all the necessary firefighters in that area,” she said.
The affected region covers much of the northern division of the Los Padres National Forest.
Exceptions to the order are in place for people involved in fire fighting, as well as for land owners and residents who are not currently under an evacuation order.
According to Phillipe, the Timber Fire’s growth has slowed over the past few days.
“The growth has been mostly due to the burning operations that we conducted in Torrey Canyon,” she told KCBX. “Conditions were favorable to bring fire down the Torrey Canyon, and kind of secure some of those containment lines.”
Phillipe says on top of proactive burning near Highway 1, the fire has continued to grow in some parts of the wilderness area.
There are currently evacuation orders and warnings in place in nearby areas, and parts of Highway 1 remain closed.
Visit the website readymontereycounty.org for more information on evacuations.
