Wildfire rages around California's scenic Big Sur
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Wildfire rages around California's scenic Big Sur
*
26 Jun 2008 23:57:46 GMT
Source: Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO, June 26 (Reuters) - California officials closed a stretch
of the state's scenic coastal highway around historic Big Sur on
Thursday as a wildfire threatened 500 homes in the remote area known for
its contemplative retreats.
Firefighters have been battling hundreds of blazes across California
sparked by lightning strikes over the past weekend, including two that
merged into the single fire around Big Sur, an artists' haven that was
once home to writer Henry Miller.
The Big Sur fire has burned more than 23,500 acres (9,510 hectares) and
destroyed 16 homes and two other buildings.
Big Sur, on California's central coast, is heavily wooded, with steep
slopes running down to the Pacific Ocean. The terrain creates one of
California's most dramatic landscapes -- and slow going for almost 700
firefighters on the scene.
They must also contend with winds spreading the blaze, which is only 3
percent contained, said Mary Welna, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, the
state's firefighting department.
California fire officials are bracing for a busy fire season, which the
weekend's lightning strikes started sooner than expected, as the state's
rainfall has been below average for two years, leaving grass, brush and
timber bone dry in many areas. (Reporting by Jim Christie; editing by
Dan Whitcomb and Todd Eastham)