BIG SUR – Firefighters bulked up their defenses yesterday against a wildfire that threatened parts of this storied tourist town and prepared for more lightning strikes that could ignite new fires across Northern California.
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CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
BY THE NUMBERS
1,211 The number of fires burning statewide
193,470 The number of acres burned by the recent wildfires
11,322 The number of firefighting personnel committed to the fires
SOURCE: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
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More than 1,200 fires, mostly caused by lightning, burned across Northern California, including two gigantic blazes in Los Padres National Forest.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked President Bush yesterday for a federal emergency declaration to free up more aid, saying the fires this season had burned 265,000 acres, or more than 400 square miles.
Firefighters rushed to protect about 575 threatened homes and historic structures in the Big Sur area. They allowed the fire to rage nearly unchecked through steep mountain forests, where flames torched massive redwoods and sent them toppling.
“This is not going away anytime soon,” said Mark Savage, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service.
Overnight, firefighters reinforced their fire lines near homes and businesses in the area, moving in heavy engines and more personnel, said Curtis Vincent, a spokesman for Los Padres National Forest.
The blaze has burned 42 square miles in the national forest and was 3 percent contained, but was moving parallel to the coast – not toward inhabited areas, Vincent said yesterday.
Meanwhile, hundreds of smaller fires burned in Northern California.
Areas hardest hit include Butte County, where 31 fires have burned 17 square miles and threatened 1,200 homes; Mendocino County, where 121 fires have burned 42 square miles and threatened 900 homes; and Shasta and Trinity counties, where about 160 fires have burned 55 square miles and threatened 230 homes.
The fire count had gone up from 800 to nearly 1,200 because smoky air had hampered efforts to track all the blazes, said Jason Kirchner, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service.
“That is part of our problem – all of Northern California has been socked in for days, and aircraft haven't been able to see the ground,” Kirchner said.
Firefighters on the ground have provided most of the firefighting intelligence.
More than 11,000 firefighters from 41 states were battling the blazes.
Firefighters were told they might be abruptly deployed to fires expected to be ignited by lightning storms that began yesterday.
The fire near Big Sur has destroyed 16 homes and two outbuildings since breaking out June 21, and officials have issued voluntary evacuation notices to residents in 75 homes along a ridge threatened by the blaze.
Authorities closed a long stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, shutting off access to several lodges, restaurants and art galleries that depend on tourism. Motorists who had planned to drive south along the coast were forced to turn around.
The blaze struck at the peak of Big Sur's tourist season, dealing an economic blow to businesses that generate most of their annual income during the summer.
The Esalen Institute, a retreat renowned for its natural hot springs, closed but wasn't immediately threatened. However, the fire forced the closure of Nepenthe Restaurant, along with its cafe and crafts shop, which draw about 1,000 visitors a day during the summer, said general manager Kirk Gafill.
The fires also were darkening skies over the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley. The threat of fire has led communities throughout Northern California to cancel plans for Fourth of July fireworks displays.
Other fires were burning yesterday in the West, including a 3,500-acre wildfire caused by lightning in New Mexico's Manzano Mountains.
A dozen fires were burning in Colorado, including one that forced about 100 people from their homes. The fires were ignited by lightning the day before.
