Dark smoke hangs over scenic stretch of California coast

A convoy of firetrucks drives through Bear Canyon after it was burned bare by the Sand Fire in Santa Clarita. (Inset): A firefighter hand crew works to stop the advance of a wildfire near the town of Acton,

Calif. (AFP/AP) A wildfire was fouling the summer season on a beloved and scenic stretch of the California coast, where smoke and the threat of flames forced the closure of state parks near Big Sur.

The blaze that has destroyed 20 homes was burning inland over a ridge and was not for the most part visible on the Pacific Coast Highway, which remained open, but with its signature views hard to see in the dark haze.

“We wanted to see more of the ocean,” said Phoenix-area tourist Jim Newby, who drove along the highway with is family Tuesday. “We didn’t see a whole lot of it unfortunately, and it’s a beautiful, beautiful stretch.”

The blaze could very easily crest the ridge and make a run toward some of the beloved campgrounds, lodges and redwoods nearer to the shore, officials said.

“It is folly to predict where this fire will go,” said California state parks spokesman Dennis Weber.

To the south, firefighters made progress containing a huge blaze in mountains outside Los Angeles, allowing authorities to let most of 20,000 people evacuated over the weekend to return home. The Los Angeles-area fire has destroyed 18 homes since it started and authorities over the weekend discovered a burned body in a car identified Tuesday as a man who refused to be evacuated.

A woman living in the house Robert Bresnick was visiting left with firefighters but he went back inside the house. The body of Bresnick, 67, was found about 20 minutes later Saturday in the car after flames tore through the neighborhood, said Los Angeles County Coroner’s Assistant Ed Winter. (AP)