Firefighters Continue to battle the Big Sur Fire

The Big Sur Fire that began on the Friday morning of the 22nd of July continues to burn through the rugged terrain of Monterey County. Five years of drought conditions, high winds and plenty of fuel have made the Soberanes Fire difficult to contain despite the massive efforts of the firefighters and volunteers who have been battling it tirelessly for over a week now.

According to the Cal Fire incident report, nearly 40,000 acres have been burned and 57 homes and 11 buildings have been destroyed. There has also been one fatality.

Robert Reagan, a 35-year-old bulldozer operator died cutting a fire line overnight when his bulldozer rolled over on steep terrain. Robert was not a firefighter, but was a volunteer bulldozer operator and knew how to work the terrain he was in.

He leaves behind a wife and two kids and was a highly regarded man in his community. Since his death, a bereavement fund for his family has been set up.

There is over 5,000 personnel working to contain the Soberanes Fire with 71 dozers cutting fire lines, 103 hand crews and 22 airborne assets. Still, the fire continues to burn in steep and inaccessible terrain making containment difficult. As of July 31st, the fire is 15% contained.

Parks along the Big Sur coastline are closed though the Pacific Coast Highway remains open according to the Associated Press. California state parks spokesman, Dennis Weber, is quoted as saying, “It is folly to predict where this fire will go.”

The 59 square mile fire has taken a heavy toll on tourism in the area.

Stan Russell, the executive director of the chamber of commerce said they’ve already seen a 50% drop in business. This is the time of year when the area sees the vast majority of its business. Many of the hotels and inns are having to issue refunds as tourists cancel their trips due to the ongoing fires in the area.

There are many dead trees in the area making it a fuel rich area for the fire. Cal Fire has employed the use of a banner on their Facebook page encouraging individuals to remove dead trees from their land and have provided more information at ReadyforWildfire.org. According to the website millions of California trees are dead, increasing the threat of wildfire.

Hundreds have had to be evacuated. “It’s a heartbreaker,” Tom Huntington 65-year-old and three-decade resident of Palo Colorado said. “I’m so lucky I didn’t lose my house. And I know some people that have.”

Despite the evacuation orders, 8 men were found after being stranded in the fire zone for days. According to several news outlets, the hikers were illegal marijuana growers. Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. John Thornburg reported that all the evidence had been destroyed due to the fires.

According to the Monterey County Weekly, “The group claimed to have a grow of about 900 plants in Bottchers Gap.” Estimates put that at about $1 million worth of marijuana, perhaps a compelling reason to send the group out in such obvious hazard conditions.

It took authorities hours to find the group after they made their call to 911 and they were eventually airlifted out. As of yet, no charges have been made.

It’s still unsure when the fire will be stopped or fully contained. We can only hope that all the firefighters fighting the fire stay safe and have no other casualties in the future.

“Never spend a life to save a building”

– Harry Carter