Update: Dolan Fire evacuation orders lifted as wildfire reaches 71% containment
Update, 2 p.m. Monday:
The Dolan Fire was 71% contained as of Monday afternoon, according to an updated news release sent by the U.S. Forest Service.
All evacuation orders were lifted Monday morning, and only Zone 27 remained under an evacuation warning.
Original story:
All evacuation orders near the Dolan Fire south of Big Sur were lifted Monday morning after a week of increased fire containment and very little growth.
As of Monday, the 128,417-acre fire was 62% contained, according to a news release from the U.S. Forest Service.
The wildfire grew only one acre since Sept. 21, the Forest Service reported.
Full containment was initially slated for Monday at noon, but the anticipated date was pushed back to Oct. 13.
Only one of the 15 zones affected by fire evacuations was still under an evacuation warning Monday, according to the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services.
Zone 27 — from Santa Lucia Road to Del Venture Road and Road 5 to Reliz Canyon — shifted from an evacuation order to a warning Monday.
Evacuation warnings in Zones 24 and 24, South Coast Ridge, Prewitt Ridge and Lucia were lifted Monday as well, according to the Monterey County OES map.
A stretch of Highway 1 that had been closed due to the wildfire reopened Sept. 21.
As of Monday morning, 515 firefighters were working to extinguish the fire which was believed to have been started by arson Aug. 18.
A one-man helicopter and an unmanned drone were flying over the burned area to help firefighters on the ground locate hotspots, according to the Forest Service. Twenty-eight engines, 10 water tenders, five helicopters and one bulldozer were also on the scene.
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Update: Dolan Fire evacuation orders lifted as wildfire reaches 71% containment."
