Big Sur wildfire grows to 500 acres; fire chief’s home destroyed

A Monterey County wildfire grew to more than 500 acres Monday as about 300 firefighters battled the Big Sur area blaze, officials said.

The Pfeiffer fire started late Sunday near the intersection of Pfeiffer Ridge Road and Highway 1, said Andrew Madsen, a spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest. Residents living on Pfeiffer Ridge Road have been evacuated, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Twelve homes have been destroyed, including one belonging to the Big Sur fire chief, KSBW reported. No injuries have been reported.

Firefighters keep pouring in, Madsen said, adding that crews remain optimistic about containing the fire, which is currently zero percent contained. Progress will depend on the weather, and onshore winds could present a challenge, he said.

“Obviously, we’ve moved out of that really cold pattern we’ve had for the past week or so,” Madsen said. “This is an area that hasn’t had fire in a while, a lot of the vegetation is very dry.”

Officials have determined a point of origin for the fire near the Big Sur Lodge, but how it sparked remained under investigation.

“This serves as a reminder that fire season in California is year round,” Madsen said.

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