Firefighters survey smoke from the Plaskett Fire burning Saturday in California's Big Sur region. The fire expanded to more than 15,000 acres and was only 1% contained on Sunday. Photo courtesy California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Aug. 30 (UPI) -- A pair of wildfires burning along California's Big Sur region expanded quickly over the weekend, jumping containment lines, closing roads and triggering extensive evacuations.
The Plaskett fire and the Timber fire have been burning for weeks in the rugged terrain of Monterrey and San Luis Obispo counties about 200 miles south of San Francisco.
But strong, gusty winds on Saturday sparked a rapid escalation, prompting officials to close the scenic State Hwy. 1 and issue a series of new evacuation orders after the Plaskett Fire jumped containment lines overnight.
That fire ballooned to nearly 15,500 acres and was only `1% contained as of Sunday afternoon, while the Timber Fire had spread to 24,700 acres and was 21% contained.
