Fire crews with water-dropping aircraft are battling two major fires along California's Big Sur coast. They are trying to contain a small fire that prompted new evacuations, which broke out near a much larger blaze that has been burning for nearly three weeks.
The Plaskett Fire erupted the previous day in steep terrain in Monterey County near Highway 1. A portion of the scenic coastal route was briefly closed Thursday afternoon as firefighters scrambled to keep flames from running through canyons. A handful of isolated properties were under evacuation orders and warnings. The fire had no containment so far, and its cause is under investigation.
About 40 miles (60 kilometers) to the north, officials closed another section of the highway where the Timber Fire has been active since Aug. 8. Crews performed back-burning operations to keep the bigger blaze from advancing toward populated areas of Big Sur. The larger fire was nearly 31 square miles (80 square kilometers), with more than 20% containment.
Fire danger is high in much of California due to an increased risk of lightning and gusty winds from the remnants of a tropical storm in the Pacific.