Big Sur open for business; effects of fires are palpable

Los Angeles Times staff writer Mary Forgione, with help from L.A. Land blogger Peter Viles, just filed a Big Sur fires update over at the LAT Outposts blog:

“The situation in Big Sur seems to be settling a little, with the cool coastal fog giving firefighters a much-needed assist on the Basin fire, the blaze closest to the iconic coastal town that has burned 39,606 acres as of 10 a.m. today. The Indians Fire, inland and southeast of Big Sur in the Ventana wilderness area, has claimed 61,273 acres.” [Follow the link for updates on what's open and closed around Big Sur.]

Here’s the latest on the 1,500-plus Northern California blazes, from our Sacramento bureau:

“SACRAMENTO — Mother Nature has lent a helping hand to firefighters battling blazes around the northern part of the state today, dishing up light winds that appear to be pushing a blaze threatening Big Sur back on itself for now.

But more than 1,250 structures remain threatened by the Basin Complex fire in Monterey County, one of 1,500 blazes that have blackened nearly 400,000 acres in tinderbox-dry Northern California over the last 10 days.”

Here are some frequently updated local news sources and blogs from the heart of the Big Sur region that we’ve been following over the last few days:

See Esalen’s website for daily updates from the center of the Big Sur fire-fighting efforts.

The blog Xasáuan Today, “At the Heart of the Northern Santa Lucia,” has a nice collection of local Big Sur fire resources, updates and links.

See the Tassajara Zen Center website, updated frequently by some of California’s most wired monks.

Check the Sitting With Fire blog for “news about the wildfires threatening Tassajara and other helpful stuff for the dispersed workers.” Reporting daily from Jamesburg, Calif., just up the road from Tassajara Zen Center.

— Andrew, Sr. Producer L.A. Times Travel

[Photo: A sign along Highway 1, top, by Peter Viles, Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 2:33 pm by Andrew and is filed under Big Sur, California, California's Central Coast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.