Mandatory Evacuations in Big Sur!!!

BIG SUR, Calif. -- Mandatory evacuations were ordered Wednesday morning for the eastern side of Highway 1 running through the Big Sur community.

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Special Section: Wildfire Coverage
Map: Basin Complex Fire Perimeter

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Monterey County Office of Emergency Services officials said residents and business owners along the east side of Highway 1 from Nepenthe to Andrew Molera State Park were under mandatory evacuation orders as the Basin Complex Fire moved further north overnight.A voluntary evacuation notice was issued for the west side of Highway 1 along the same stretch of the roadway.Highway 1 was closed just south of Andrew Molera State Park early Wednesday morning.

Heavy timber and rugged terrain continued to make for tough going for firefighters battling a wildfire along the Big Sur coast. More than 1,500 firefighters are in the area now as they try to slow the spread of the blaze called the "Basin Complex" fire. The blaze is only three percent contained after expanding to nearly 52,000 acres.Authorities on Tuesday ordered evacuations on a strip of coast near Big Sur where firefighters were battling one of hundreds of lightning-sparked wildfires burning across Northern California. The mandatory evacuation order covered a roughly 15-mile stretch along Highway 1 where firefighters planned a controlled burn Tuesday evening to help contain a wildfire that has burned about 74 square miles, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Rolf Larsen.Red Cross evacuation shelters were set up at the Pacific Valley School south of Limekiln Park and Carmel Middle School.


Fire officials issued an evacuation advisory notice Sunday morning for Palo Colorado Canyon residents from Highway 1 to the Pico Blanco Boy Scout Camp.Campers for the Cub Scout session planned for July 6 were asked to go to the Boulder Creek Scout Reservation as an alternate location.Boy Scouts officials said they were unable to confirm whether the camp would be open for the Boy Scout Sessions on July 13.More information about the closure of the Pico Blanco Boy Scout Camp can be found on their Web site.


The Red Cross is prepared to open evacuation centers at the Carmel Valley Middle School and the Pacific Valley Middle School should more evacuations become necessary.Homeowners that need help evacuating pets or livestock are asked to contact the SPCA at 831-373-2631.The SPCA for Monterey County has a listing of pet-friendly hotels in the area for displaced residents on their Web site.For more information regarding mandatory evacuations in Monterey County, call 831-796-1991.A stretch of Highway 1 between Nepenthe and Lucia remains closed.


Meanwhile, Governor Schwarzenegger will sign an executive order today intended to speed up the removal of debris and the repair of environmental damage by what his office called "cutting red tape." The governor and FEMA head David Paulison are scheduled to be in Big Sur Wednesday morning for a briefing on firefighting efforts.