Wind-driven California wildfire above Big Sur forces people to flee their homes

Jan 22, 2022 08:00 pm News 118

A wind-driven wildfire broke out late Friday in the rugged mountains above Big Sur in California, forcing residents to evacuate their homes and authorities to shut down a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. The fire started in a canyon and was pushed by 56 km/h winds to the sea, jumping the highway and burning on the west side.It burned at least six square kilometres and was five per cent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Saturday. The Monterey County Sheriff's office ordered evacuations in the Palo Colorado Canyon at about 9:30 p.m. local time and shut down an iconic stretch of the twisting Highway 1. Evacuees shared on social media dramatic images of burning flames behind the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge.

A wildfire burns behind a house off Highway 1 near Big Sur, Calif., on Saturday. (Nic Coury/The Associated Press) The concrete bridge spans the deep and wild canyon along the highway and has been the backdrop of many car commercials, movies and TV shows — most recently the HBO drama Big Little Lies. Strong winds were recorded in higher elevations across the San Francisco Bay Area overnight.