Big Sur wildfires close Highway 1, parks

California officials kept major closures across Big Sur in place on Wednesday, September 2, as the Timber and Plaskett fires continued to block Highway 1 and shut several state parks. Caltrans said Highway 1 remained closed through the fire area, while California State Parks said multiple parks in the Monterey District were closed until further notice. CAL FIRE said the Plaskett Fire was mapped at 28,968 acres and 1% contained early Wednesday, and the Timber Fire was listed at 25,190 acres and 22% contained in its latest posted update. ### Which parts of Highway 1 are closed right now? Caltrans said Highway 1 was closed from Gorda at post mile 10.2 to just north of Captain Cooper Elementary at post mile 50.1 to support Timber and Plaskett fire operations. The agency said drivers should use U.S. 101 as an alternate route and avoid unnecessary travel through the area. Monterey County’s emergency page described the highway closure in two hard-closure segments: mile marker 56.0 to 45.0 and mile marker 16.0 to 0.0 at the Monterey-San Luis Obispo county line. (dot.ca.gov) The county said Caltrans would evaluate and clear hazards before reopening the road. CAL FIRE said Wednesday there was “currently no estimated reopening time” for Highway 1 through the fire area. (dot.ca.gov) The agency said the closure extended from about mile marker 56, south of the Little Sur River, to the Monterey-San Luis Obispo county line. ### Which parks and visitor areas are shut? California State Parks said Point Sur State Historic Park, Andrew Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Limekiln State Park were closed until further notice because of the growth of the Timber and Plaskett fires. (readymontereycounty.org) The closure notice was posted by the Monterey District. The state parks notice tied the closures directly to the same Highway 1 disruption that has cut through the Big Sur coast. (fire.ca.gov) That has left campground access, trailheads and day-use stops across a long stretch of the coast unavailable to visitors, according to the park system’s closure posting and Caltrans notices. ### How large are the two fires? CAL FIRE said the Plaskett Fire update posted at 6:24 a.m. on Wednesday listed the fire at 28,968 acres and 1% containment. (parks.ca.gov) The agency said the eastern portion of that incident remained a primary concern as the fire continued burning toward and into Fort Hunter Liggett. CAL FIRE’s latest Timber Fire page showed 25,190 acres and 22% containment, based on an update posted late Monday. (parks.ca.gov) The agency said firefighters had been strengthening control lines, mopping up along the Highway 1 corridor and carrying out suppression repair work from Pfeiffer Camp south. ### What are officials saying about conditions on the ground? CAL FIRE said cooler temperatures and improved overnight humidity recovery helped moderate fire behavior across both incidents. (fire.ca.gov) Even so, the agency said steep terrain and heavy fuels continued to shape conditions on the Plaskett Fire and limit direct access for firefighters. Monterey County said the U.S. Forest Service had begun critical backburning operations near Highway 1 and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. (fire.ca.gov) The county also kept evacuation orders, warnings and shelter-in-place notices posted for multiple zones tied to both fires. ### If you had a Big Sur trip planned, what should you check first? Caltrans said travelers should use its QuickMap service and district social media feeds for road updates. (fire.ca.gov) California State Parks directed visitors to closure notices for Big Sur parks, and Monterey County said evacuation maps and alerts remained active for affected zones. Wednesday’s most current official checkpoints were the Caltrans closure notices, the CAL FIRE pages for the Timber and Plaskett fires, and Monterey County’s emergency page. (readymontereycounty.org) Those postings carried the latest road status, park closures, evacuation zones and any eventual reopening decisions. (dot.ca.gov)