Colorado Fire ignites in middle of winter

Fire season returned with a vengeance in California over the weekend as the Colorado Fire erupted near Big Sur, forcing the evacuation of about 500 residents, indefinitely closing a stretch of the iconic Highway 1 and destroying a yurt. The blaze, which had charred around 1,050 acres and was 25% contained as of Sunday morning, was whipped by fierce winds that crisscrossed much of the state, toppling trees and power lines and leaving thousands of people without power. “It’s unusual to have a fire this size here on the coast at the end of January,” said CalFire spokeswoman Cecile Juliette. She added,

“It just doesn’t make sense anymore to call it a fire season when we get big fires like this year round. We are really calling it a fire year at this point.”

Three key Friday wildfire updates:

• Vice President Kamala Harris joined Newsom, California U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on a visit to the San Bernardino National Forest, where she announced $600 million in federal relief funding for California communities devastated by recent wildfires.

• Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved plans for the state’s insurance plan of last resort to start offering coverage on Feb.

1 to previously ineligible farms, wineries, ranches and other outdoor agricultural businesses at risk of wildfire damage.

• And a bipartisan group of state lawmakers unveiled a proposal to hire 1,124 new CalFire firefighters — including 356 full-time positions — and set mandated minimum staffing levels to protect both firefighters and communities.