Authorities issued evacuation orders for areas along the Big Sur coast in California as the Timber fire expanded in Monterey County. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported that the blaze started on Sunday and grew to more than 1,700 acres by Monday.
The evacuation mandates included prominent local landmarks such as the Nepenthe restaurant, the Henry Miller Memorial Library, and the Alila Ventana resort. Officials also closed part of the Pacific Coast Highway to non-residents due to the threat posed by the flames.
Firefighters were working to build containment lines along the Highway 1 corridor on Monday.
Cal Fire stated that the fire is moving slowly, burning primarily along the ground through grass, brush, and oak woodland. The agency noted that the flames have not moved into the tree tops. The cause of the Timber fire remains under investigation.
Wildfires strain resources across North America
Beyond California, other regions faced significant wildfire challenges. Canada placed its military on standby to assist with deadly wildfires in British Columbia, where at least one woman died and approximately 20,000 people fled their homes. Authorities stated that nearly half of the fires in that region are burning out of control.
In Summerland, British Columbia, the mayor warned that affected areas remained too dangerous to enter and that it was impossible to determine the scope of the destruction. The community was ordered to evacuate on Saturday night.
In the United States, a fast-moving blaze north of Reno, Nevada, forced approximately 5,500 people to evacuate. Further north, firefighters in Spokane, Washington, strengthened containment lines around three destructive blazes, allowing some evacuated residents to return home.
Oregon is experiencing its worst year on record for land burned by large wildfires, according to Northwest Interagency Coordination Center spokesperson Jean Nelson-Dean. She reported that 3,671 square miles (9,508 sq km) have been scorched, surpassing the state's previous record set in 2024.
