Plaskett Fire Swells to Nearly 27,000 Acres, Containment Stalls at 1%

The Plaskett Fire ignited Wednesday on about 50 acres near Forest Road 23S10 east of Los Burros Road and has surged to 26,734 acres, overtaking the neighboring Timber Fire's 25,190 acres. The latest incident report shows containment stalled at 1% on Monday night, with aggressive growth along its eastern edge into the dense, fire-starved vegetation of Fort Hunter Liggett. Fire crews, numbering close to 1,000, are employing strategic burns on the northern front and deploying Super Scooper aircraft on the southern flank, supported by 41 engines, 15 water tenders, 12 helicopters, six bulldozers and 26 hand crews.

At least one structure has been confirmed destroyed, and roughly 56 miles of Highway 1 remain closed with no reopening date announced. Evacuation orders cover seven zones in Monterey County and warnings extend to additional zones in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties; shelters are operating at the Carmel Mission Inn and the Veterans Memorial Building in Cambria. The fire's cause is still under investigation.