The Plaskett Fire burning south of Big Sur continued to spread aggressively on Monday, exploding to thousands of acres since the weekend.
The fire, which is one of two large fires on the Central Coast, is mapped at 27,580 acres with 1% containment as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The fire slowed down by Monday night as the humidity reached around 90% and temperatures dropped into the 50s, the U.S. Forest Service said in a Facebook post. Officials said “unseasonably cool temperatures” are forecast on Wednesday, even for the inland area of the fire, which could help with containment.
The blaze ignited on Aug. 26 east of Los Burros Road in Plaskett, which is north of Cambria. The eastern part of the fire is growing the most rapidly amid steep terrain and heavy fuels, pushing into the area of Fort Hunter Liggett, Cal Fire said in its Tuesday morning update. As the flames move toward the eastern perimeter, Cal Fire said the fire is touching areas that “have not burned in more than 50 years.”
In a Monday news release from the U.S. Army Fort Hunter Liggett Public Affairs Office, officials said there is no imminent threat to the military base, though flames have touched the adjacent training areas. The public affairs office did not respond to SFGATE’s request for comment on Tuesday. The base is also home to Mission San Antonio de Padua.
The Plaskett Fire has more than tripled in size since Sunday morning when it was mapped at 8,241 acres, and it’s now the third-largest fire in the state so far this year. It has also surpassed the Timber Fire, a massive fire that ignited more than three weeks ago on Aug. 8 southeast of Loma Vista on a trail in Los Padres National Forest.
The Plaskett Fire in Big Sur, Calif., on Aug. 31, 2026. (Courtesy of Cal Fire)
The Timber Fire has burned 25,190 acres and is at 22% containment as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. Crews are working on mopping up the Highway 1 corridor, where, for days, the fire has been actively burning and “slopping over” containment lines.
Both fires have forced nearly the entire coastline along Highway 1 in Big Sur to shut down. Two segments of the road are closed, one starting just south of the Little Sur River down to the Big Sur Post Office and the other closure starting at Pacific Valley down to the San Luis Obispo County line and Gorda area, according to Caltrans.
Several businesses have been forced to temporarily close because of the fires, including a historic cliffside restaurant. The Henry Miller Memorial Library, also located along the highway, is closed, SFGATE previously reported.
Multiple evacuation orders are also in place for Monterey County residents as both fires continue to burn. The latest evacuation information can be found on the Monterey County Department of Emergency Management’s map and on the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page.
The Timber Fire is threatening at least 661 structures, and one firefighter has been injured, according to Cal Fire. Authorities have not yet released a damage assessment on the Plaskett Fire.
As of Tuesday, the combined acreage from both fires is equivalent to approximately 82 square miles – larger than the city of Oakland and almost double the size of San Francisco.
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This article originally published at Fast-growing Big Sur fire pushes into area untouched for 50 years.