The high ridges and steep mountainsides are part of what make Big Sur beautiful. The long and winding roads that lead to isolated areas are why many people choose to live here. All of it also makes fighting the Soberanes Fire difficult.
“ It can be very dangerous. And that’s why this fire has been able to grow to the east so significantly. If you can think about yourself walking up a very steep hill that’s rocky and full of vegetation it takes a long time to get up in that area,” says CalFire’s Raymond Martinez.
Beyond being a challenge for the firefighters, the terrain also helps fuel the fire.
“So fires burn faster uphill. Until it gets to these ridges and then the wind will actually be an indicator of which way the fire is going to spread because it will push that heat and that fire onto the brush, next it, next to it, next to it as the wind blows across that terrain,” say Martinez.
Damage assessment crews are also facing an uphill battle. They go in to the burn area to get an accurate count of destroyed structures. Their work is slowed by downed power lines, fallen trees and active fire.
At last count, 20 homes had been destroyed along with two outbuildings. 2000 structures remain threatened. CalFire estimates full containment on August 31st.