TRAVEL NEWS & TIPS
Firefighters mass to protect Big Sur
A growing wildfire near Pfeiffer Burns State Park threatens the historic and picturesque getaway. Northern California braces for more lightning strikes that have already sparked nearly 1,100 blazes.
1:49 PM PDT -- Firefighters bolstered their defenses today against an expanding wildfire that threatened homes on the fabled 70-mile coastal strip of Big Sur while they braced at the same time for fresh lightning strikes that could ignite new fires across Northern California.
The blazes prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this morning to request that President Bush declare a state of emergency in the region. The counties covered by his request are Butte, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta and Trinity.
Nearly 1,100 fires were burning in the region from San Jose to the Oregon border, said Jason Kirchner, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. Those are in addition to the two gigantic blazes that have charred some 134 square miles in the Los Padres National Forest.
By midday, the fire licking the edges of Big Sur's legendary cliffs and funky getaways had receded from some of the rugged coast's landmarks. At about noon, traffic on Highway 1 from the north was allowed to proceed about two miles farther down the narrow winding road, past the Post Ranch Inn resort.
"A lot of businesses are reopening," said Dan Priano, the Post Ranch Inn's general manager, who opened the resort's doors today after closing them to guests Sunday evening. "It's a nice situation to be in."
"It looks like a lot of the fire is heading for the backcountry," he said.
To the south, Esalen, ground zero for the "human potential" movement of the 1970s and site of numerous self-improvement seminars, was untouched. However, smoky conditions forced it to cancel arts workshops, personal retreats and night bathing for several days.
Nepenthe, a well-known cliff-side restaurant, was planning to reopen this evening, said Kirk Gafill, Nepenthe's general manager and grandson of the couple who started it in 1949.
"We've been blessed with very little wind activity for the last week," said Gafill, fresh from a tour of redwoods burning across Highway 1 just 1,000 feet to the east. "If that were to turn around, all bets are off."
Sixteen homes have been burned, according to fire officials.
Fires in the area have been burning for seven days, spiking stress levels in an area renowned for its tranquillity.
"We've had other threatening fires over the years," he said, "but the whole world showed up to deal with it, and for 24 hours you'd be scrambling to secure your property and pack your belongings. When it's over, you felt it was over. This is psychologically unique."
The fire in the Big Sur area has consumed more than 26,000 acres and was just 3% contained as of this morning.
"It's due east of Post Ranch and due east of downtown Big Sur," said Terry Reedy, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. "Pfeiffer-Burns State Park is at the south end."
Firefighters were concerned that flames from Big Sur could join those of the Indian fire to the south, creating an even more massive blaze, Reedy said.
"The fuels are very heavy and it's kind of shockingly dry," he said. "But that's true for the whole state."
Thousands of residents remained evacuated from their homes as the blazes raged for a seventh day since a freak barrage of thunderstorms rolled across the region last weekend.
Areas of Butte, Shasta and Trinity counties still were under evacuation orders, and authorities were suggesting that residents leave their homes in fire-threatened spots in Lassen, Modoc, Mendocino, Trinity and Shasta counties.
Half a dozen state highways in those counties were closed, hindering travel as the summer vacation season kicks in. Authorities said property damage had not been widespread. In the last week, 18 residences, one commercial building and 19 other structures have been lost, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
A blanket of smoke continued to plague the Central Valley, with air quality readings in Sacramento topping out just short of the "very unhealthful" range.
In some spots, the smoke was so thick that airline flights were delayed. Residents with breathing problems were being urged to stay indoors.
Times Staff Writer Cara Mia DiMassa and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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