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The Timber Fire that has burned more than 5,000 acres in Big Sur grew marginally overnight as containment continued to creep up.
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The Monterey County wildfire, spanning from southeast of Loma Vista and the Big Sur River to Partington Ridge, had blackened 5,239 acres and was 21% contained by Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The fire grew less than 100 acres overnight.
That was up from 5,153 acres burned on Monday and 17% containment. A total of 1,995 personnel were working the fire.
Cal Fire reported minimal fire activity Monday night and all containment lines held as firefighters continued to mop up and secure lines along the southern edge of the fire.
However, conditions were not favorable for conducting any preventative burning operations overnight, Cal Fire said.
Fire crews will continue to hold the fire south of the Big Sur River and along the lines of the Ventana Wilderness to the east.
The Timber Fire sparked on the night of Aug. 8 at just 4.6 acres before growing to nearly 3,000 acres within days, The Tribune previously reported. By Aug. 11, the fire had scorched more than 4,200 acres and threatened 503 structures.
A 10-mile stretch of Highway 1 remains closed from mile marker 45.1 near the Big Sur Bakery to mile marker 37 at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and homes and businesses in the area are under evacuation orders.
All trails and roads in the fire area are also under a closure order, according to the Los Padres National Forest.
Fire crews were working to remove debris and roll off on Highway 1 in an effort to reopen Highway 1 once safety concerns are addressed, according to Cal Fire.
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Where are evacuation orders, warnings for Timber Fire?
Five zones were under evacuation orders with an “immediate threat to life” within the vicinity of the blaze:
- MRY-F023
- MRY-F025
- MRY-F026
- MRY-F027
- MRY-F028-A
Five other zones were under evacuation warnings with a “potential threat to life” to the north and south:
- MRY-F021-B
- MRY-F022
- MRY-F024
- MRY-F028-B
- MRY-F029
An evacuation shelter was available at Carmel Middle School at 4830 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel. The shelter accepts pets.
What started the Timber Fire?
The cause of the wildfire remained under investigation, and authorities need help figuring out what started it.
The U.S. Forest Service posted on Facebook asking for the community’s help as investigators worked to better understand the events leading up to the start of the Timber Fire.
The agency is asking the public for any photos, videos of other information related to the fire.
“Even a small detail may help provide a clearer picture of what occurred,” the post said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators by email at [email protected].
This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 12:18 PM with the headline “Containment inches up on Big Sur wildfire as Forest Service investigates cause.”
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