Big Sur Fire Map: Evacuation Zones, Highway 1 Closures and Latest Updates

The Timber Fire ignited on the night of Aug. 8 in steep, rugged terrain within the Los Padres National Forest, above Highway 1. As of this week, the fire has burned approximately 19,296 acres and reached 21% containment, according to Cal Fire. More than 660 structures remain threatened. The blaze now ranks as the third-largest wildfire in California this year, behind two fires that burned in the northern part of the state earlier this summer. The cause remains under investigation.

Highway 1 Closures

The California Highway Patrol has implemented a hard closure on Highway 1 from one mile south of Old Coast Road, near Mile Marker 50, to a half mile south of Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, near Mile Marker 42.6. The closure supports firefighting operations and keeps roadways clear for emergency crews. An earlier closure this month spanned from near Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to Fernwood. Caltrans has advised drivers to use U.S. Route 101 as an alternate route and to avoid unnecessary travel through the fire zone.

Evacuation Zones

Monterey County has issued evacuation orders for zones MRY-F022, MRY-F023-A and MRY-F025. Evacuation warnings are in effect for zones MRY-F018, MRY-F019, MRY-F033, MRY-F034 and MRY-F037. Shelter-in-place directives cover zones MRY-F021-A, MRY-F021-B, MRY-F024, MRY-F026 and MRY-F027-A. Officials note that when a warning is issued, residents should be prepared for it to escalate to a mandatory order. Those who remain in order zones must be ready to self-sustain for up to seven days.

Backburning Operations Underway

Firefighters, including U.S. Forest Service crews, began critical backburning operations this week near Highway 1 and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The technique involves intentionally burning vegetation between the fire and containment lines to remove fuel and slow the blaze’s forward progress. Officials say the operation, combined with warm, dry conditions, prompted the latest round of expanded evacuation orders.

The Timber Fire threatens one of California’s most iconic and heavily visited coastlines, home to state parks, hotels, restaurants and hundreds of residences along a narrow highway corridor. Repeated Highway 1 closures cut off the primary route through the region, isolating residents and disrupting the local tourism economy during peak summer travel season. The fire is also burning into the Ventana Wilderness, an area that has not experienced a major fire since 2008, raising concerns about unpredictable fire behavior in dense, long-unburned vegetation.

Containment is expected to improve gradually as backburning operations remove fuel ahead of the fire’s edge, though officials caution that warm, dry weather could still drive further growth. A shift in weather patterns, including cooler temperatures and higher humidity, may aid containment efforts in the coming days, though gusty winds remain a risk.

Evacuation orders and Highway 1 closures are likely to remain in place until containment increases significantly. Residents and travelers can check real-time evacuation and road-closure updates through Monterey County’s alert system and Caltrans’ traffic information service.