Blaze outpacing firefighters’ efforts, official says

height of tourist season.

The blaze spanning 42 square miles has destroyed 34 homes, forced the evacuation of 350 properties and put at least 2,000 buildings at risk. A 35-year-old father of two girls also was killed this week when the bulldozer he was operating rolled over on the fire lines.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection estimated it will take until the end of August to extinguish a blaze that also led to the rescue of 11 hikers, some of whom authorities suspected of tending to an illegal marijuana patch of 900 plants. No arrests were made.

“Every day the fire is gaining ground on us,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Robert Fish said. “The weather and steep and rugged terrain is taking its toll. So we’ll make progress, but then the fire is making progress faster than we can keep pace with.”

Firefighters worked in rugged terrain near coastal Highway 1 in an area that draws tourists from around the world for the dramatic vistas of ocean and mountains. The famous roadway remained open, but smoke and the threat of flames forced the closure of state parks near Big Sur, a big economic driver for the region.

The bulldozer operator who died on the fire lines this week was identified Thursday as Robert Reagan. The Fresno County man’s sister, Hannah Cunnings, told The Associated Press that her brother was the kind of person who would offer to put snow chains on your car or fix an engine that needed repair.

“Even since he was a boy, he just really wanted to help people,” she said, crying.