Advertisement Soberanes Fire costliest to fight in U.S. history Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A wildfire burning for nearly two months just east of the beautiful Big Sur coast has surpassed $200 million in firefighting costs, becoming the most expensive to fight in U.S. history. The Soberanes Fire has cost $206.7 million so far, the National Interagency Fire Center said in a report released this week. That puts it well past the previous record of $165 million established by a blaze that burned in California and Oregon in 2002. The National Interagency Fire Center's figure does not include the actual damages done by the fire like destroyed homes, only the price of extinguishing and containing it. READ MORE: New evacuations in Carmel Valley issued Tuesday The cost is mostly attributable to the long duration of the fire, and the need to pay thousands of firefighters for their daily work, the U.S. Forest Service said. The daily costs got as high as $8 million at the fire's peak, though they've settled at closer to $2 million as it has calmed. At 185 square miles, the Soberanes Fire does not even approach the largest in size in American history, and does not crack the top 10 in California. With the blaze at only 71 percent containment, there could be weeks left before the firefight is done. PHOTOS: Backfire operations along Chews Ridge The wildfire first sparked in Garrapata State Park before spreading into Los Padres National Forest and the Ventana Wilderness. California is seeing a relative lull in active and dangerous wildfires as it awaits its heavy fire season, but three major uncontained fires are still burning around the state as wildfire conditions continue to expand into previously safe months, and new ones break out almost daily. READ MORE: Air quality unhealthy due to Soberanes Fire They include a wildfire at Vandenberg Air Force Base about 170 miles southeast along the coast from the Big Sur blaze. It forced the postponement of a weekend satellite launch, has exploded in size and continues to burn out of control at more than 7 square miles.