Wildfire near California’s Big Sur coast 35% contained
A wildfire that erupted last week amid strong winds in rugged mountains near California’s Big Sur coast was 35% contained Monday, authorities said.
Improved mapping on Sunday reduced the fire’s size to about 700 acres, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
The blaze erupted Friday evening as strong, dry, offshore winds raked California with damaging gusts.
Named the Colorado Fire for its starting point in Palo Colorado Canyon, the blaze triggered evacuation orders for about 500 people in the lightly populated area about 100 miles south of San Francisco.
The fire’s cause remained under investigation.
Elsewhere, wind damage was still being tallied, especially in communities on the foothills of mountains east of Los Angeles.
The city of Claremont said it was “an unprecedented wind event” that destroyed a large number of trees and damaged homes, businesses, sidewalks and infrastructure.
Forecasters predicted the San Francisco Bay region will be dry and mild this week while Southern California will experience another round of gusty Santa Ana winds late Tuesday through Wednesday.