Fire in remote wilderness near Big Sur grows — but cooler temps could help battle the blaze
The Willow Fire in Big Sur grew over the weekend, though cooler weather in the coming days could go a long way toward containing the blaze.
As of Monday evening, the fire has burned 2,848 acres, according to a Los Padres National Forest news release. It first broke out June 17, though the cause is still under investigation.
Fire officials say hot temperatures combined with windy conditions and low humidity made for “opportune conditions for the fire to spread” this weekend. On Sunday, the fire burned through the night with “moderate intensity moving about a mile to the east.”
The fire is currently burning in a very remote region of the Los Padres National Forest, which makes it difficult for firefighters to access the fire.
Plumes from the blaze can be seen from around the Big Sur area.
According to the release, crews are continuing to prepare for structure defense in the Tassajara Zen Center and the Arroyo Seco campground area, where evacuations were ordered by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
Crews are currently examining where previous fire control lines from last year’s wildfires can be used once again.
A general cooling trend is expected through Wednesday, according to the release, which could help slow the rate of spread of the fire. Winds from the south and southwest could continue to push the fire to the east and northwest toward Arroyo Seco, however.
On Monday morning, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Los Padres National Forest and California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 also entered into a unified command to maximize firefighting efforts.
This story was originally published June 21, 2021 at 9:14 PM with the headline "Fire in remote wilderness near Big Sur grows — but cooler temps could help battle the blaze."
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