I have evacuated, so please do not worry about my physical well being. My house is a different story. Won’t get there until tomorrow and hopefully we can get air support by then.

This is the latest perimeter. I am the top 120 acres, JC is on the lower right or south 20 acres, and the Lowes own the 40 acres below me on the left.

Thursday (8/27/26) Morning Update: The latest heat detections reveal that the impressive smoke columns visible from the Monterey Peninsula yesterday were primarily the result of strong runs in the Doolan’s Hole drainage behind Mt. Manuel. There were reports that firing operations had begun between Mt. Manuel and Post Summit, but other than one heat detection near this ridge, there isn’t much sign of that. Burn operations to protect the Big Sur Valley are planned and are one of the reasons for the new round of evacuation orders there.

There are also a lot of heat detections in the Big Sur Gorge. It is possible that all or some of this could be the beginning of a deliberate burn.

Further south, it is clear that burn operations have begun on the Coast Ridge working south from Partington. Hopefully the heat detections on the west side of the Coast Ridge are in error (heat detection locations can have a wide margin of error).

In the north, the fire has climbed high on the Ventana Double Cone and crossed into the headwaters of Ventana Mesa Creek (a tributary of the Carmel River), but has made slow progress working its way downhill into the Little Sur and Carmel River watersheds.

In the east, the fire made strong runs yesterday from Redwood Creek and the North Fork of the Big Sur River toward Pine Ridge and the Arroyo Seco watershed. The fire has now reached the edge of the Arroyo Seco watershed a little south of South Ventana Cone. Smoke columns produced by these runs were also visible yesterday from the Monterey Peninsula.

Finally, the fire continued actively burning east up the North and South Forks of the Big Sur River.

8/27/26 – Message From the Chief Regarding the Timber Fire and Plaskett FireAnother message from your Fire Chief regarding the Timber Fire and now Plaskett Fire: A week ago we were, by almost all accounts, feeling pretty good about where we were with the Timber Fire. We all knew a long road still laid ahead of us. Well that road just became a lot longer and whatever end may have been in sight is now blurred by the smoke of yet another wildfire; this time on the South Coast – the new Plaskett Fire. When the Timber Fire started we were very fortunate with the weather pattern and fire behavior. We were able to literally work with the fire, helping it navigate around neighborhoods and structures without any losses. Well those favorable weather conditions have since changed and the fire has become much more active as you’ve all seen, nearly tripling in size since my last message and putting up some impressive plumes. The weather we have experienced over the past several days, which has been labeled as critical fire weather, has been more normal for our area, especially in late August. Earlier this week, CalFire IMT 1 team transitioned command to the current team, California Inter- Agency IMT 3, who took the incident in stride. The new team, who I am working closely with, is dealing with a very dynamic and complex situation, especially with a new start some 35 miles south in an area that hasn’t seen a significant fire in more than 5 decades. I have full confidence in the team’s ability to manage these complex and expanding incidents. As you have all seen, there is a new road closure going into effect today at 1 pm. This is an important and necessary step to help control the area and allow crews to safely work in the fire zone. PG&E may need to de-energize the lines should they be eminently threatened. This will have significant impacts on all of us in Big Sur and south to the end of the line. Efforts to move through this critical period efficiently is on the team’s mind but the closure is all subject to the fire’s behavior and the operational success which is all yet to be determined. The message here is patience. We will all need to exhibit a lot of patience over the next week or more. A note on the new Plaskett Fire: when Big Sur Fire arrived at scene yesterday morning, crews immediately began checking in with the residents of Los Burros Road, to make sure they were aware and ready to leave if necessary. The fire was burning deep in a canyon with no vehicle access. Big Sur Fire’s Hand Crew hiked down to the fire some 2 miles in steep rugged terrain, and cut handline directly on the fires edge, for more than 8 hours. 4 other Big Sur Fire apparatus and 10 more firefighters also responded. The Timber Fire command team immediately diverted resources to the Plaskett fire, including aircraft, which is a testament to their commitment to protecting our community. Big Sur Fire’s presence will ramp back up as we work both fires in step with our mutual aid partners. I will remain closely connected with the incident management team and all of you. Thank you for the outpouring of support with food, drinks and other supplies for the firefighters who are all so grateful. This is going to be an even longer haul than originally thought and we will need your continued support to get through it. Please keep checking our website bigsurfire.org, inciweb, and other apps like Watch Duty or Wildfire Intel for more information. Thank you all for your efforts, patience and trust of Big Sur Fire. Sincerely, Matt Harris Fire Chief

Date:	Wednesday, August 26, 2026
District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Ashton Harris
Phone:	(805) 549-3138

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

*UPDATE #3*

EIGHT-MILE STRETCH OF HIGHWAY 1 IN BIG SUR TO CLOSE

IN SUPPORT OF TIMBER FIRE OPERATIONS

MONTEREY COUNTY – As of 1 pm Thursday, August 27, an eight-mile stretch of Highway 1 will be closed to support Timber Fire emergency response.

As the Timber Fire emergency response remains active, Highway 1 will close from approximately 0.5 miles south of Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn at Post Mile 42.6 to near Andrew Molera State Park at Post Mile 50 to facilitate firefighting and evacuation operations.

Electronic message boards will alert travelers in advance of the closure. Avoid any unnecessary travel through the area. Drivers should use US 101 as an alternate route. We want to thank the community and the public for their patience while we continue to support the emergency response of the Timber Fire in Big Sur.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

Our crews deserve to get home safely too.

Drive slowly and carefully in work zones.

CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov

Traveler information at: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

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CURRENT SITUATION: The Plaskett Fire, near the 30900 Block of Los Burros Rd, approximately two miles east of Plaskett Creek Campground, was reported this morning. PLASKETT FIRE EVACUATION ORDER and WARNINGS: Effective immediately, The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued an Evacuation Order for the following Evacuation Zone: MRY-F036. An Evacuation Order means you should leave the area now due to an immediate threat to life and property.  Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is issuing an Evacuation Warning for Monterey County Zones MRY-F035 and MRY-F037. When a Warning is issued, assume an Evacuation Order could follow. This is your window to get ready: especially if you have pets, large animals, or if you need extra time or assistance to leave. Follow directions of public safety officials. Monitor official channels for updates. More info: alertmry.org/alerts

10:30 am – 50 acres and asking for permission for retardant.

10 am – Fire was spotted and called in by JC this am. HE is on Plaskett, not the fire. The fire is in the south fork of Willow Creek near the north fork junction. More of a threat to Los Burros people at this point than to Plaskett, but that will change at some point.

Here is a photo JC took about 10 am: AA from Santa Maria on site or on the way.

Wednesday (8/26/26) Morning Update: The Timber Fire ran northwest out of Ventana Creek shortly after sunset last night, crossing into the headwaters of the South Fork Little Sur River. While the fire is centered over the Big Sur River watershed, it is now getting established in both the Carmel and Little Sur watersheds as well.

On the west, an active fire front now stretches from the base of Mt. Manuel (on Ventana Creek) north through Doolan’s Hole and all the way to the Little Sur side of the ridge. This means runs to the top of Mt. Manuel and the Cabezo Prieto Ridge could happen at any time – likely causing renewed evacuation orders in the Big Sur Valley.

The far northern end of the fire continues slowly backing down into the Carmel River watershed near the Ventana Double Cone, mainly in a drainage sometimes unofficially called Round Rock Creek, since it enters the Carmel River near Round Rock camp.

The eastern side of the fire has still not made any runs up to Pine Ridge or the South Ventana Cone. This could happen at any time, as these are steep, brush covered slopes. Instead, it has continued to flank to the east along the lower slopes.

Fire has also remained quite active, and has continued moving east, on the ridge between the North and South Forks of the Big Sur River. It now seems certain that the entire Big Sur watershed will burn – not a great scenario heading into an El Niño winter.

The southern end of the fire has also remained active, becoming better established in Pick Valley, and moving into a position where it will be able to run west at the Coast Ridge. Firefighters have been preparing for days to prevent it from recrossing the Coast Ridge in this area.

CURRENT SITUATION:  

Acres: 16,368   Containment: 27%   Resources Assigned:  1,788

CURRENT SITUATION:

Fire behavior increased through the afternoon as the inversion lifted, allowing warming, drying, and southwest winds to align with exposed drainages and ridge systems. The fire remains active on the northwestern side, where it has crossed the Ventana Creek drainage and continues pushing upslope toward Manuel Peak. Crews prioritized building and reinforcing existing containment lines, improving access, and preparing for potential structure defense if the fire continues its upslope progression.

On the east/southeast side, the fire continues backing toward Pick Creek; fire crews cut hand lines, strengthened containment lines, and advanced hose lay construction along Coastal Ridge Road in preparation for potential strategic burnout tomorrow from Logwood Creek up to Coastal Ridge Road. Night crews will take advantage of cooler evening temperatures to continue widening and improving control lines. To support extended operations in steep, remote terrain, some firefighters are “spiking out,” meaning they establish short‑term, remote camps near the work site. This reduces travel time, keeps crews closer to critical operational areas, and enhances both safety and efficiency.

WEATHER:

The marine layer is expected to remain compressed tonight and will not push inland far or deep, leaving the fire area warmer and much drier with limited humidity recovery. Moderate southwest winds are expected, though localized winds remain variable in drainages, supporting continued backing and flanking fire behavior through the night.

CLOSURES:

Los Padres National Forest has a closure order in effect for trails and roads in the fire area.

Evacuation orders and warnings were updated on August 25, 1:00 P.M. For the latest evacuation information, visit Ready Monterey County: readymontereycounty.org/emergency

Timber Fire Information

2026.Timber@firenet.gov

(831) 285-7006

Website: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/calpf-timber-fire

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