Santa Cruz
News Feed
Events
Local Businesses
Classifieds
Weather

Timber Fire Continues To Grow, Now Consumes Nearly 18,000 Acres

The fire's size grew, and containment shrank slightly Wednesday, authorities said.

| Updated

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — Monterey County's Timber Fire grew slightly again overnight and containment shrunk slightly, but Cal Fire officials said Wednesday that crews were still making good progress overall.

The fire, burning in the rugged Central Coast wilderness around Big Sur, grew from about 16,000 acres to nearly 18,000 acres and containment shrank from 26% to 23%, according to Cal Fire.

Subscribe

On Monday evening, the fire had burned about 13,000 acres.

Over the past 24 hours, crews completed fire breaks, strengthened existing breaks and lines and maintained positions that were established during previous days' work.

In the Logwood Creek and Coast Ridge areas on the southwestern part of the fire, crews maintained positions and continued monitoring the fire as it backed toward Logwood Creek, while water tenders remained in place along Coast Ridge Road and state Highway 1.

The fire was most active along its eastern and southern portions, and crews continued to monitor its spread, attacking it where conditions and terrain allowed, according to Cal Fire officials.

Highway 1 is open in both directions.

Currently, about 1,500 firefighters, 14 helicopters, 81 fire engines and 14 bulldozers are working the fire. No injuries, deaths or damaged or destroyed structures have been reported.

The Timber Fire started on Aug. 8 and the cause is still under investigation.

Additional information can be found by visiting www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/8/8/timber-fire/.

Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

More from Santa Cruz
News | Aug 17
News | Aug 4
News | Jul 29
See more on Patch >

Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Santa Cruz Patch

Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.

©2026 Patch Media. All Rights Reserved

Do Not Sell My Personal Information