Soberanes Fire: Monterey County Blaze Grows, State Parks Shut Down

UPDATE 11:00 a.m.: MONTEREY COUNTY, CA - California State Park officials are closing several state parks in the vicinity of the fast-burning Soberanes Fire north of Big Sur.

Parks including Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Andrew Molera State Park have been closed according to a tweet from the California State Parks sent shortly before 11:00 a.m.

Parks closed also include Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Pt. Sur Lighthouse State Historic Park. Officials say Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes Hot Springs is closed until further notice, as is Mount Manuel Trail.

Area residents and visitors are asked to stay off state Highway 1, as emergency personnel need exclusive use of the highway to fight the fire.

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UPDATE 7:40 a.m.: MONTEREY COUNTY, CA - Cal Fire officials have updated the total acreage burned so far in the fast-moving and remote Soberanes Fire north of Big Sur.

Shortly after 7 a.m. Monday morning, Cal Fire Public Information Officer Daniel Berlant tweeted that the fire had grown overnight to 14,897 acres. Containment remains at five percent.

Berlant said firefighters are battling tough condtions.

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MONTEREY COUNTY, CA - Cal Fire officials have expanded mandatory evacuation orders for residents living near the Soberanes Fire that started Friday and has burned 11,000 acres in Monterey County.

Containment of the fire, which is burning an area south of Carmel-By-the-Sea and north of Big Sur, remains at five percent.

As of 9 p.m. Sunday, mandatory evacuation orders were in effect for the Rocky Creek area, Weston Ridge Road (also known as Garrapata Ridge Road), Palo Colorado Road, Garrapatos Road and Old Coast Road from U.S. Highway 1 south to Bixby Creek Road.

Six homes and two sheds have been destroyed. No one has been injured.

The Fire started around 8:50 a.m. near Garrapata State Park and has grown quickly. By Saturday evening, the fire was reported to have burned 6,500 acres and by this evening had doubled in acreage.

The fire is currently threatening about 1,650 structures, Cal Fire officials said.

Evacuations are advised for residents in the communities of Carmel Highlands and San Rancho Clemente, but are not mandatory. The advisory is also in effect for Rancho San Carlos Road, White Rock and Old Coast Road from Bixby Creek Road to Little Sur River.

An evacuation center has been opened at Carmel Middle School at 4380 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel-By-The-Sea.

Firefighters with Cal Fire and various other fire departments throughout the area are attempting to extinguish the fire from both the air and on the ground. Because the fire is located in a remote area, access is challenging, according to Cal Fire officials.

Monterey County officials also announced that Toro Park was closed starting Sunday because the park is being used by Cal Fire crew members as a base camp. The park will remain closed to the public until the firefighting efforts are complete, county officials said.

Also on Patch: Monterey County Fire Has Burned 6,500 Acres; Only 5 Percent Contained

-Bay City News; images via Cal Fire, Monterey County Sheriff's office; embeds via Cal Fire, NWS/Bay Area