Colorado Fire 45% Contained: Cal Fire

BIG SUR, CA — The Colorado Fire, which has burned about 700 acres on the Big Sur coast just south of Carmel-by-the-Sea and resulted in about 500 evacuations, was about 45% contained Tuesday morning, according to CalFire.

“Fire behavior was moderate overnight,” Cal Fire tweeted. “Onshore winds have increased along the Big Sur Coast. The onshore winds have increased humidity along the coast. Similar conditions are anticipated for Tuesday. Firefighters will continue strengthening control lines and mopping-up hot spots.”

So far, just a yurt has been damaged, and a fire engine has been partially damaged, but no injuries have been reported. The fire was reported at 1,050 acres Sunday morning – the largest wildfire of the year so far – but "better mapping" led CalFire to reduce the estimate to 700 acres.

500 people living in the sparsely populated area between Carmel and Big Sur remain under evacuation orders. The mandatory evacuation order from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office applies to all areas west of 3800 Palo Colorado Road to Highway 1, and south to Bixby Creek. See here for a full map of evacuations.

An evacuation center at Carmel Middle School has been closed, but the Red Cross is giving out hotel vouchers to evacuees.

Highway 1 remains closed from Garrapata Creek to Point Sur.

On Monday, CalFire said that lighter winds and an increase in humidity levels will help firefighters battle the blaze. National Weather Service forecaster David King told the Mercury News that fog in the North Bay valleys will lead to a development of a marine layer that will also create favorable conditions.

The fire ignited Friday evening in the Palo Colorado canyon in Big Sur and quickly spread toward the sea, fanned by winds up to 50 mph. The blaze burned at least 2.3 square miles of brush and redwood trees, said Cecile Juliette, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

"The fire lined up with the wind and the terrain and that gave the fire a lot of energy to make a big run," she said Saturday.

Officials shut down Highway 1 in both directions from Andrew Molera State Park to Carmel-By-

A wind advisory was issued in the Bay Area for Friday night through Saturday morning, though meteorologists said strong winds were most likely in higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service.

Authorities closed an iconic stretch of Highway 1 with no estimated time for reopening. The two-lane highway along Big Sur is prone to closures due to fire and mudslides from heavy rain made portions of the roadway collapse last year and in 2017.

Evacuees shared on social media dramatic images of flames burning behind iconic Bixby Bridge.

The tall concrete span has been the backdrop of many car commercials, movies and TV shows, most recently the HBO drama "Big Little Lies."

Strong winds were recorded across the San Francisco Bay Area overnight, knocking down trees and power lines and causing outages to at least 18,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers in the region, the utility said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

In Sonoma County, firefighters extinguished a 5-acre fire on Geyser Peak, where gusts above 90 mph (145 kph) were recorded. In the Sierra Nevada, the winds topped 141 mph (226 kph) near the summit of Kirkwood Mountain Resort, shutting several ski lifts.

In Southern California, a peak gust 90 mph (144 kph) was recorded in the mountains east of Santa Clarita. Strong winds developed across the region, toppling trees and powerlines.

The National Weather Service said a similar windy event happened in Bay Area nearly a year ago. A red flag warning of extreme fire danger was issued then due to the strong winds and much drier conditions.

This time, the region received a reprieve from December storms that dumped heavy snow in the mountains and partially refilled parched reservoirs.

However, Juliette said the winds quickly dried up vegetation weakened by a prolonged drought and lowered humidity level.

"It's unusual to have fire this size here on the coast at the end of January," she said. "The fact that we had a fire this size is of great concern."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.