HUNDREDS of Californians were “caught by surprise” and forced to evacuate their homes as crews continue to contain the Big Sur wildfire.
More than 1,500 acres of coastline have been set ablaze since the fire broke out in Monterey’s Palo Colorado Canyon Range on Friday.
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Around 500 residents were forced to flee the area between Carmel and Big Sur.
They were “caught off guard” as wildfires are rare in January, according to Accuweather.
The fire spread rapidly along the coast as it was hit by gusts of 80 kilometers per hour.
Firefighters put out a separate five-acre fire at Geyser Park in Sonoma County, where 90 mph winds were reported.
In the Sierra Nevada mountain range, winds reached speeds of up to 141 mph, while gusts of 90 mph were also recorded in Santa Clarita.
Cecile Juliette, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told the Associated Press: “The fire aligned with the wind and the terrain and that gave the fire a lot of energy to make a great run.
“It is unusual to have a fire of this size here on the coast in late January. The fact that we have had a fire of this size is cause for great concern.”
Evacuees shared images of raging flames burning behind the Bixby Bridge, which has been the backdrop for movies and TV shows like “Big Little Lies.”
By Saturday, the fire had burned more than 1,500 acres and was 35 percent contained as of Sunday night. The cause of the forest fire remains unknown.
CalFire said the fire could be seen from Santa Cruz County, about 70 miles from Monterey County.
Around 250 firefighters are working to fight the blaze and crews have to enlist agencies to help contain the flames.
George Nunez, a CalFire captain, told the New York Times that he normally has 17 units, but that was down to two when fire season ended Jan. 3.
He said: “Everyone says that California has a year-round fire season. And this is just part of that.”
Nunez said steep terrain and high winds are making things difficult for crews.
RARE FOREST FIRE
More than 30,000 people in the Golden State lost power Sunday night, according to PowerOutage.us.
Health officials in Monterey issued a “boil water advisory” and urged residents to drink boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking or cooking.
Officials said failure to comply with the order could lead to stomach or intestinal illness, as boiling kills bacteria in the water.
They issued the order due to possible damage to the water system infrastructure.
The Red Cross is helping with shelter at Carmel Middle School for those who have been affected by the wildfire.
And pet emergency supplies are also being provided at the shelter.
The fire broke out after the state experienced heavy downpours in the final months of 2021, leading to the perception that the wildfire threat would be less.
National Weather Service Bay Area officials tweeted: “Anecdotally, it appears that long-term drought acts like a chronic disease where recent rains” and cold weather “do not help prevent fires from developing.” .
The Palo Colorado field isn’t expecting rain until February, so fire crews fear conditions remain “ripe” for more inferno.
The NWS said a similar windy event occurred almost exactly a year ago this past January.
A red flag warning of extreme fire danger was then issued due to high winds and much drier conditions.
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Colorado wildfire: Big Sur under red flag weather warning as body camera footage shows massive blazes and fleeing residents
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