By admin 
The Timber and Plaskett fires continued to challenge firefighters up and down the Big Sur coast on Saturday, burning in rugged, steep terrain.
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Plaskett Fire adds another 2,300 acres
Update, 6 p.m.
The Plaskett Fire grew to 8,241 by Saturday evening, after continuing its march through heavy fuels in difficult-to-reach areas, according to Cal Fire. It was now 1% contained.
The southern closure for Highway 1 was moved to mile market 2.1, just south of Salmon Creek.
That lines up with the southern boundary of zone MRY-F037, one of six zones now under an evacuation order:
- MRY-F034
- MRY-F035
- MRY-F036
- MRY-F037
- MRY-G012-A
- MRY-G016
Meanwhile, the Timber Fire had burned 24,839 acres as of Saturday evening and remained 21% contained.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by CAL FIRE BEU (@calfire_beu)
Original story:
The Plaskett Fire burning along the southern Big Sur coast doubled in size overnight into Saturday, while the Timber Fire continued to grow slowly to the north.
The latest report from Cal Fire showed the Plaskett Fire at 5,924 acres, up from 2,774 on Friday, still with 0% containment.
The Timber Fire was at 24,408 acres, up from 23,343 on Friday, with containment falling to 21%.
Evacuation orders were in effect for 24 zones from the Little Sur River to just north of the San Luis Obispo County line, Cal Fire said.
Another 18 zones were under evacuation warnings, and seven zones near the Timber Fire were under shelter-in-place orders.
Meanwhile, a 45-mile stretch of Highway 1 remained inaccessible to through traffic, thanks to two closures around the fires burning at the north and south ends of the Big Sur coast.
A 31-mile stretch of the highway was open in the middle to local traffic.
Point Sur State Historic Park, Andrew Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park all remained closed as of Friday due to the Timber and Plaskett fires, according to the California Department of State Parks website.
As of 1 p.m. today, two segments of Hwy 1 are closed, and there is no through‑traffic. North Closure: post mile 56 just south of Little Sur River to post mile 45 just south of Big Sur Post Office. South Closure: post mile 16 near Pacific Valley to post mile 10.2 near Gorda. pic.twitter.com/3Mx9rCRvaN
— Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) (@CaltransD5) August 28, 2026
All Los Padres National Forest roads, trails and campgrounds within the Timber Fire area were also closed.
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A full list of impacted Los Padres forest areas is available at fs.usda.gov/r05/lospadres/alerts/timber-fire-area-road-and-trail-closure.
Many businesses along the coast were also shuttered.
“I’ve been describing it as sort of a punch in the gut because this is our busiest month of the year,” Kirk Gafill — co-owner of Nepenthe, Café Kevah and The Phoenix Shop in Big Sur — told ABC7 News. “Every one of the days in August that we’re closed is like losing three days in the winter.”
Progress on Plaskett Fire
Cal Fire said the Plaskett Fire was moving downslope toward Highway 1 south of Plaskett Road. On the north side of the fire, dozers and ground crews were working to strengthen and extend seven miles of containment lines in the South Coast Ridge Road area.
“Structure defense remains a primary operational priority,” Cal Fire said. “Resources continue evaluating threatened areas, preparing structures, and positioning personnel and equipment where changing fire conditions could increase structure exposure.
A total of 481 personnel were working the fire as of Saturday morning, with more firefighters and equipment expected to arrive.
How crews are fighting Timber Fire
To the north, crews working the Timber Fire were focusing on structure protection on Saturday, while also bolstering control lines, Cal Fire said.
Crews were conducting firing operations along the Manuel Peak and the Highway 1 corridor in areas where the fire breached control lines.
“Air operations are being guided by two dedicated Air Attack platforms, supported by a mix of Type 1 and Type 2 helicopters as well as day-and-night drone operations, though fixed-wing air tankers remain limited by high national demand and are strictly deployed for high-priority ground operations,” Cal Fire said.
Firefighters were focusing on a primary goal of keeping the fire north of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, south of Carmel Valley Road, east of Highway 1, and west of Millers Ranch.
The Los Padres National Forest also announced an emergency closure of lands in the Monterey Ranger District — except for Pfeiffer Beach and Sycamore Canyon Road — “to protect public safety during the Timber and Plaskett Fires.”
The order went into effect on Saturday “until the Timber and Plaskett Fires are declared out.”
A new shelter for people affected by the Plaskett Fire was opened in Cambria on Friday night. The Veterans Building at 1000 Main St. had a capacity for 48 beds and was being run by the Red Cross.
This story was originally published August 29, 2026 at 12:02 PM with the headline “Plaskett Fire passes 8,000 acres as crews battle blazes along California’s Big Sur coast.”
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