By admin 
The Timber Fire passed the 3,000-acre mark overnight in Big Sur on Wednesday morning as emergency responders attempted to contain the blaze that was threatening more than 500 structures and a condor sanctuary.
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As of around 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, the fire had burned 3,150 acres and was around 5% contained, according to Cal Fire’s incident tracker.
A total of 503 structures were threatened by the fire, and a total of 904 emergency response personnel were fighting the blaze as of Wednesday morning, Cal Fire reported.
In addition to 26 hand crews, 36 engines, 6 water tenders, 7 bulldozers and 6 helicopters were working the fire.
Several areas around the fire were in evacuation orders or warnings.
Five zones were under evacuation orders in the immediate vicinity of the blaze:
- MRY-F023
- MRY-F025
- MRY-F026
- MRY-F027
- MRY-F028-A
Another five were under evacuation warnings to the north and south:
- MRY-F021-B
- MRY-FO22
- MRY-F024
- MRY-F028-B
- MRY-F029
Meanwhile, an evacuation shelter was established for displaced residents at Carmel Middle School at 4380 Carmel Valley Road on Monday.
All state parks in Big Sur were closed, and Highway 1 was closed to the public between Fernwood Resort and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The Timber Fire started as a 4.6-acre fire on Sunday evening, before it grew quickly over the past two days, reaching 2,900 acres on Tuesday evening and 3,150 acres as of Wednesday morning, prompting evacuations for some residents and businesses long the Monterey County coast, according to Cal Fire.
How firefighters are working the Timber Fire in Big Sur
Cal Fire said Timber Fire activity surged early Wednesday morning and was active on the southern edge around Partington Ridge and Coast Ridge Road.
“Rolling debris and embers along Coast Ridge Road caused spot fires, but aggressive tactics contained them,” Cal Fire said.
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Firefighters were also working to protect structures as the flames moved toward Highway 1 while bulldozers and ground crews carved out lines and mopped up hot spots, Cal Fire said.
On the northern flank, dozers cut fire lines along the ridge toward Highway 1 and the Big Sur River. The fire was also burning on the east side in hard-to-reach wilderness areas.
Cal Fire said weather conditions could become an issue Wednesday afternoon and evening when a 15-20% chance of thunderstorms was forecast for the area, including “strong, erratic winds and unstable conditions.”
Condor sanctuary threatened
The Ventana Wildlife Society, which maintains a sanctuary for California’s endangered condor population, was also in the path of the fire and started making evacuation preparations on Tuesday, according to a post on Facebook.
Two condors recovering from lead poisoning at the sanctuary were safe but must be released as soon as possible, the sanctuary said.
“A huge shoutout to the U.S. Forest Service for stepping in to help us during this critical time. We can’t thank the firefighters and first responders enough for all they do to protect people, property, and wildlife,” the society said on Facebook.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
This story was originally published August 12, 2026 at 11:34 AM with the headline “Timber Fire grows to 3,100 acres in Big Sur, threatening 500 structures, condors.”
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