A wildfire that erupted last week amid strong winds in the rugged mountains near California’s Big Sur coast remains 35% contained as of Monday morning.
CAL FIRE says improved mapping on Sunday reduced the fire’s size to about 700 acres, or one square mile.
The blaze erupted Friday evening as strong, dry, offshore winds raked California with damaging gusts.
Named the Colorado Fire for its starting point in Palo Colorado Canyon, the blaze triggered evacuation orders for about 500 people in the lightly populated area between Carmel and Big Sur. An evacuation center is set up at Carmel Middle School.
A portion of Highway 1 remains closed to traffic from Andrew Molera State Park to the Granite Canyon Bridge.
CAL FIRE reports one structure has been damaged.
The fire’s cause remains under investigation.
The National Weather Service says conditions in the region will be dry and mild this week.
