Appointed appellate counsel for indigent defendants (retired.) I have lived in Big Sur since 1984, first on the north coast, and on the South Coast since 1989.
Wednesday (09/02/2026) Update: The perimeter of the Timber Fire has continued to cool over the past 48 hours and the footprint has not expanded. This is a very long, uncontained perimeter where hotspots capable of rekindling undoubtedly exist – but, as of now, it’s looking good.
The Plaskett Fire has also cooled off quite a bit. On the east, it crossed the Nacimiento River in Ft. Hunter Liggett, but this only brought it into grassland and oak savanna, where firefighting is much easier than in the mountains.
There is still a lot of heat in areas where burn operations have been ongoing, but this heat remains mainly within containment lines.
The Plaskett Fire is currently mapped at 28,968 acres and 1% contained. Fire behavior moderated overnight following significant growth during previous operational periods. The eastern portion of the incident remains a primary operational concern as the fire continues burning toward and into Fort Hunter Liggett.
Steep terrain and heavy fuels continue to influence fire behavior and limit direct access for firefighters. Crews are focused on strengthening control lines and securing the western portion of the incident while continuing to monitor fire activity across the perimeter.
Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity are expected to help moderate fire behavior and support suppression operations.
The Timber Fire, burning on the Los Padres National Forest, is currently mapped at 25,223 acres and 22% contained. Fire behavior remained moderated during the previous operational period, resulting in minimal additional growth.
Crews continue strengthening established control lines and actively mopping up along the Highway 1 corridor. Suppression repair operations are also continuing south from Pfeiffer Camp. Throughout the incident, firefighters and heavy equipment operators are working to connect and reinforce completed dozer and control lines to reduce the potential for additional inland fire spread.
Cooler temperatures and improved overnight humidity recovery continue to provide favorable conditions for suppression efforts.
Message from your Fire Chief regarding the Timber and Plaskett Fires:
This has been an incredible few weeks for all of us. I am so impressed with all of you and our community. You have been inquisitive, patient and resilient and you will need to be for quite a while longer. The Timber Fire had minimal growth over the last few days aided by an early season cold front that even holds the possibility of precipitation. The primary containment lines are still being dialed in and it will take many days if not weeks for the fire to reach them. Crews are going direct where they can to extinguish and mop-up the fire. Some areas are just too steep and rugged to safely access, as you know, and it is a patience game for either season ending rain or the fire to reach the line.
The Plaskett fire on the other hand has been dynamic and has seen several significant days of growth. The acreage in fact has now surpassed the Timber Fire. Due to the size and complexity of both incidents, a second incident management team has been mobilized and assumed command of the Plaskett Fire this morning (CA-CIIMT7). Our Big Sur Fire resources (2 engines and a water tender) are currently assigned to the Plaskett Fire sharing their local knowledge and helping lead our mutual aid partners into the enclaves of Plaskett Ridge Road, Los Burros Road, Gorda Mountain Road and others to protect structures and extinguish the fire.
As both incidents progress, the incident management teams and I are in constant communication with all agencies involved such as Monterey County Sherriff, CHP, CalTrans, Dept. of Emergency Management, and many more. We are continually evaluating the situation and looking for opportunities to return life to normal, including reopening the highway. Right now, things are on track for reopening the northern closure in the Timber Fire area based on the timeline established last week. There is no timeline for the southern closure. More information will be provided very soon if/when anything changes.
There is another community meeting tomorrow at 6:00pm at the Mid-Coast Firehouse on Palo Colorado Rd. for those outside the closure area. Please keep checking our website bigsurfire.org, inciweb, and other apps like Watch Duty or Wildfire Intel for more information. 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 and increased support to get through it.
Good Morning: This will be the last combined Timber and Plaskett Fires Update. Beginning this evening California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 will be sending out information regarding the Plaskett Fire.
Timber Fire: 25,190 Acres, 22% contained and 2,016 firefighters assigned.
Firefighters on the Timber Fire were aided by overnight humidity recovery near 90% which helped keep fire behavior moderated.
Night crews focused on mop up and active patrol along the Highway 1 corridor, specifically working to extinguish any lingering heat that could threaten the road or structures in the Camp Pfiefer area. To the east, humidity remained as low as 5% at elevations around Chews Ridge and highlights the potential for continued fire spread as conditions allow.
With that potential in mind, firefighters along the northwest corner of the perimeter are focusing on building containment around a slopover from several days ago near Manuel Peak.
Along the northern and eastern edges of the fire, handcrews and heavy equipment are being utilized to connect pieces of completed dozer line from Bixby Mopuntain to Skinner Ridge, east toward Haystack and from Chews Ridge east then south toward Arroyo Seco.
WEATHER: An early season trough of low pressure will bring unseasonably cool temperatures and higher humidity airmass over the Timber and Plaskett Fire tomorrow. This will be one of the coolest days since the fire started with highs mainly in the 60s and struggling to warm into the 70s, even for interior portions of the fire. General winds will continue to be onshore and from the West with gusts to around 15 mph for the exposed ridges along the Coast Ridge Trail. Lower elevations below 2000 feet will continue to see good humidity values that will help with mop-up operations. The air aloft should be cool enough to erode the marine inversion layer with cooler temperatures for the highest elevations above 3000 feet. Skies will be partly cloudy tonight as a weak frontal boundary passes through. The front may generate some very light showers or drizzle overnight into Wednesday morning, especially around Big Sur and the Pfeiffer Camp but amounts would be a few hundredths at most.
ROAD CLOSURES: A hard road closure is in effect on State Route 1: For updates, visit:
REVISED FOREST CLOSURE ORDER: The Los Padres National Forest has issued an Area Closure for Forest Service managed lands surrounding the Timber and Plaskett Fires. Full text of the Closure Order, and Closure Order Map.
Good morning lovely Kate – I hope you and your structures are safe – as you know more than I do that the mail is still unable to get through from anywhere, Monterey, Ragged Point, Nacimiento. So we are keeping it safe and sound and organized down below the Monterey Post Office on the Webster Street side of the building, not the main lobby and retail area, if anyone is likewise trapped on this side and wants to collect their mail. As soon as the road is open to us we’ll have everything delivered that day or the next depending on what hour the road opens.
I think it was Yogi Berra or another prominent philosopher that said, “This too shall pass” 🤷♂️
Also, one challenge we have is the phones. I forwarded the Big Sur phones to me but it didn’t take and now I can’t get back in my office to try programming it again. I hope to get that solved soon. (Helpdesk people are no help at all!)
So, Please don’t call the Monterey office line as their staff do not have any extra Big Sur information up there.
We are open around the corner on the Webster Street side of the building 8:30 – 4pm
If tracking numbers are indicating items were delivered in Big Sur after the road closure then they are safe and sound with me, waiting for the road to reopen. 👍
Location: Southeast of Loma Vista, Monterey County
Size: 25,190 acres
Start date: August 8, 2026
Percent contained: 21%
Personnel Assigned:2,016 Firefighters
Cause: Under investigation
Plaskett Fire:
Location: East of Plaskett, Monterey County
Size: 26,734 acres
Start date: August 26, 2026
Percent contained: 1%
Personnel Assigned: 955 Firefighters
Cause: Under investigation
Timber Fire: 25,190 Acres, 22% contained and 2,016 firefighters assigned.
The Timber Fire saw more moderated fire behavior and is currently 25,190 acres with 22% containment.
Firefighters worked to strengthen existing control lines and actively mop up along the Highway 1 corridor as well as suppression repair activities from Pfiefer Camp south.
Resources are connecting completed dozer line in all other areas of the fire to minimize the inland spread as much as possible.
Weather conditions are forecast to become more favorable moving through the weak as a unseasonable cool front moves into the area. While temperatures will drop, it will remain relatively dry with no significant precipitation in the forecast and humidities in the 30 to 35% range.
Plaskett Fire: 26,734 Acres, 1% Contained and 955 firefighters assigned.
The Plaskett Fire showed continued aggressive growth throughout the day today and now sits at 26,734 acres and 1% contained.
The growth was primarily along the eastern perimeter as the fire continues to push deeper into Fort Hunter Liggett in areas that have not seen fire in more than 50 years. Steep terrain and thick fuels remain the primary driver of fire behavior.
Crews made great progress along the northern edge of the Plaskett using strategic firing operations to help check the fire’s progress along the Slick Rock road system from San Miguel Creek east to Slickrock Creek.
Aerial resources were in heavy use along the southern edge to help slow the fire’s progress along Los Burros Road as firefighters continued structure defense operations.
Tonight’s operations will be a continuation of structure defense and protection measures with plans in place to hold the fire in the Willow Creek drainage to the south.
WEATHER: An early season trough of low pressure will bring unseasonably cool temperatures and higher humidity airmass over the Timber and Plaskett Fires tomorrow. This will be one of the coolest days since the fire started with highs mainly in the 60s and struggling to warm into the 70s, even for interior portions of the fire. General winds will continue to be onshore and from the West with gusts to around 15 mph for the exposed ridges along the Coast Ridge Trail. Lower elevations below 2000 feet will continue to see good humidity values that will help with mop-up operations. The air aloft should be cool enough to erode the marine inversion layer with cooler temperatures for the highest elevations above 3000 feet. Skies will be partly cloudy tonight as a weak frontal boundary passes through. The front may generate some very light showers or drizzle overnight into Wednesday morning, especially around Big Sur and the Pfeiffer Camp but amounts would be a few hundredths at most.
ROAD CLOSURES: A hard road closure is in effect on State Route 1: For updates, visit:
REVISED FOREST CLOSURE ORDER: The Los Padres National Forest has issued an Area Closure for Forest Service managed lands surrounding the Timber and Plaskett Fires. Full text of the Closure Order, and Closure Order Map.
They lit off the backburn about 4 hrs ago (about 10 am). I went up to Prewitt and spoke with a few dozer operators. The had high confidence the containment line from SCRRoad, Prewitt and from Prewitt to HWY1 would hold. Looking East towards FHL and S towards Plaskett looked well under control. The temp was mid 60’s with fog coming up the slopes of Prewitt.
1-Firefighting crew trucks at Prewitt Camp.
2-SCRRoad from Alms looking over the Knoch area towards Chaulk Peak and FHL.
