Just one evacuation order remains in effect, and the number of firefighters on the scene has continued to go down as crews make progress on the Soberanes Fire.
Firefighters have a cold, black containment line around much of the fire. It has now burned 76,683 acres and is 60% contained.
Areas still vulnerable are to the south in the Los Padres National Forest. There crews have built a containment line, but CalFire spokesman Captain Rick Crawford says it’s not yet secure.
“Once we are able to make sure there’s black line that’s all the way around it, we’re going to be able to have it burn into the rest of the forest that inaccessible steep and rugged terrain,” says Crawford.
In Big Sur, they’re trying to hold the fire at Ventana Creek. So far, Crawford says efforts to protect the community there have worked.
“Now we’ve had some successful firing operations in the Big Sur area that has now allowed us to mitigate the threat to Big Sur. We had some hazardous trees that were also in danger of falling. We mitigated that as well. We’re starting to look in pretty good shape,” says Crawford.
Evacuation orders in Big Sur have been reduced to just Coast Ridge Road from mile marker 1.5 to Marble Peak at the end of the road. Other areas are under an evacuation warning.
As firefighters have gained the upper hand on containment, the numbers on scene have gone down. Total personnel is 3067, down from a high of more than 5000. Some have left to work other wildfires burning in the state.
The Soberanes Fire has destroyed or damaged 73 structures and led to the death of one bulldozer operated. It was started on July 22nd by an illegal campfire in Garrapata State Park.