Flames raged in the hills above and ash fell from orange skies as evacuees in packed cars streamed north along Highway 1, the only major road out of Big Sur. Sheriff’s deputies told residents they needed to leave the area by late afternoon.
The blaze near Big Sur is one of more than 1,100 wildfires, mostly ignited by lightning that have scorched more than 770 square miles (nearly 2,000 square kilometres) and destroyed 64 homes and buildings across northern and central California since June 20, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
New mandatory evacuation notices were issued Wednesday for a 31-mile (50-kilometre) stretch along Highway 1. Authorities have closed a total of 25 miles (40 kilometres) of the scenic roadway, blocking access to popular resorts, restaurants, shops and art galleries that attract tourists from around the world.
The blaze had destroyed 16 homes and charred about 81 square miles (210 square kilometres) of forest since it was started by lightning on June 21 in the Los Padres National Forest. It was only about 3 per cent contained and officials told evacuees at a public meeting Wednesday evening that they did not expect full containment until the end of the month.
The new evacuation notice means that all of the roughly 850 residents who live along the Big Sur coast from Andrew Molera State Park to Limekiln State Park have been ordered to leave, Marshall said.
Helicopters hauling large containers of water droned loudly overhead as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, R. David Paulison, visited Big Sur on Wednesday.
“This is a very dangerous fire right now because of the wind and because of how dry things are and how early in the year it is,” Paulison said in an interview. “If people evacuate like they’re told to, we shouldn’t lose any lives. ... My only concern is that people don’t take it seriously enough.”
Federal fire managers predict an increase in severe wildfire activity in northern California through October due to the unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain.
In Southern California, a fire in the Los Padres forest north of Santa Barbara prompted mandatory evacuations of about 45 people in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Officials said that fire had burned nearly 200 acres (81 hectares) of heavy brush on Wednesday and about 200 homes were threatened.
Officials said the fire had burned 1,200 acres (485 hectares) of rough terrain by Wednesday evening.
About 75,000 Southern California Edison customers in Goleta and Santa Barbara remained without electricity after thick smoke forced the shutdown of power transmission lines, utility spokeswoman Lois Pitter Bruce said.
Santa Barbara city fire Battalion Chief Christopher Blair said the power lines were “putting a light show on the hill” as they shot sparks and lights blinked on and off.
Rough terrain in the Santa Ynez area hampered firefighters, said Santa Barbara County spokesman William Boyer. “It’s mostly an aerial battle,” he said.
Elsewhere, a wildfire threatened 15 homes and the Okanogan tribal bingo casino near Okanogan, Washington, and some residents had been evacuated, said Ron Bowen of the state fire marshal’s office. The blaze had covered 1,500 acres (about 610 hectares) - just over 2 square miles (5 square kilometres) - and the state sent people and equipment to help Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighters, officials said.