Timber, Los Padres NF, USFS. CIMT (CA Team 3). Four miles southeast of Big Sur, CA. Grass, timber and chaparral. Moderate fire behavior with flanking, uphill runs and single tree torching. Energy infrastructure threatened. Area, road and trail closures in effect.
September 2, 2026 at 4:40 PM The Timber Fire remained quiet overnight as weeks of aggressive firefighting and a change to more favorable weather conditions have helped crews gain ground throughout the area. The fire is sitting at 25,223 acres and 22% containment with the majority of that containment along the Highway 1 corridor. With the moderated fire behavior and strong progress, night operations have been suspended. Crews will remain available 24 hours a day if the need arises and are ready to respond.
Today, firefighters’ primary focus will be along the northwestern edge of the fire near the South Fork of Little Big Sur as crews work to build line directly along the edge of the fire from just east of Post Summit moving east toward Ventana Double Cone.
Fire personnel and Caltrans crews continue to work along Highway 1, actively mopping up any lingering hotspots and clearing fallen rocks in an effort to reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so.
WEATHER: Humidity fully recovered overnight. Expect levels to drop to around 50% today. A cool pattern will continue through Friday and Saturday, followed by gradual warming. Light west winds expected.
ROAD CLOSURES: A hard road closure is in effect on State Route 1: For updates, visit:
https://roads.dot.ca.gov/?roadnumber=1 or https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
September 1, 2026 at 8:04 AM The Timber Fire saw more moderated fire behavior and is currently 25,190 acres with 22% containment.
Firefighters worked to strengthen existing control lines and actively mop up along the Highway 1 corridor as well as suppression repair activities from Pfiefer Camp south.
Resources are connecting completed dozer line in all other areas of the fire to minimize the inland spread as much as possible.
Weather conditions are forecast to become more favorable moving through the weak as a unseasonable cool front moves into the area. While temperatures will drop, it will remain relatively dry with no significant precipitation in the forecast and humidities in the 30 to 35% range.
WEATHER: Winds will continue coming from the west, keeping humidity higher, especially below 2000 feet near Big Sur Village. Areas above 2000 feet will finally see some improvement, with humidity rising compared to recent days. Overall winds will stay onshore, with gusts up to 15 mph on the ridgetops, while lower‑slope winds will stay light at under 8 mph. Inland skies will be sunny, and coastal clouds will linger along the immediate shoreline this morning.
CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS: A 40‑mile stretch of Highway 1 in Big Sur is now closed to support Timber and Plaskett Fire operations. The closure runs from Gorda (Mile Post 10) – 11.7 mi north of Ragged Point to 9.5 mi north of Big Sur (Mile Post 56). Please avoid unnecessary travel in the area and use US 101 as an alternate route. Electronic signs are in place.
August 31, 2026 at 9:19 AM Fire growth predominantly terrain and fuels driven. Possible perimeter growth is expected to the north in the Lion Creek drainage up Ventana Double Cone and to the northwest Ventana Creek. Continued eastward progression into the North Fork and South Fork Big Sur River drainages. Growth to the north into Redwood Creek and Cienega Creek. Potential growth into the upper Carmel River basin. Potential impacts to Michaels Hill and Coast Ridge Road.
August 30, 2026 at 10:59 AM The Timber Fire showed some activity on its southeast corner near Partington Ridge as winds picked up overnight. However, night crews along the highway were able to quickly extinguish and mop up hot spots, and overall the highway edge and the road into Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park looked good and cold.
Assignments today will continue as they have for the last few days, with heavy equipment opening roads and containment lines from previous fires and hotshot crews accessing and opening areas that the dozers are unable to reach. Hotshots are being supported in remote areas by helicopter, including by line medics, who have been flown out to ensure that any injuries on the line receive quick care.
Aviation Operations: Two dedicated Air Attack platforms are assigned to the incident, supported by Type 1 (Heavy Lift) and Type 2 (Medium lift) helicopters and both day and night Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) operations. Fixed-wing air tanker availability may be limited due to high national demand. Available aviation resources will continue supporting ground operations where they can be most effective.
Infrared (IR) flights were unable to fly last night and today due to smoke and cloud cover. As a result, the current mapped fire perimeter may be inaccurate until updated IR data becomes available.
WEATHER: No major day over day changes forecast with mostly sunny skies. Smoke shading will be more prevalent on the Plaskett fire. Temperatures running near or a few degrees below normal, mainly in the mid 70s to mid 80s. Humidity readings will trend more seasonable with afternoon minimums 18-28%. General winds from the Northwest 5-10 mph with afternoon ridgetop gusts to 15 mph. Most of the winds over the fire will be diurnally driven and light under 8 mph. The marine layer depth should be around 2000 feet and confined to the immediate coastline after mixing out by 1000 hours.
August 28, 2026 at 11:37 AM Please join California Incident Management Team 3, Cachauga Fire, and other cooperating fire agencies for a community meeting to receive the latest updates regarding the Timber Fire. Community Members will have an opportunity to hear directly from officials and ask questions. Details:Saturday, August 19 at 4:00 PMCachagua Community Park, 37320 Nason Road, Carmel Valley, CA 93924.
Air and ground resources, including aircraft, hand crews, engines, dozers, and specialized fire equipment, such as skidgens, continue actively engaging the Timber Fire on the northwest portion, where fire has progressed through the Ventana Creek/Lion Creek drainage toward Ventana Double Cone and the upper Carmel River basin. Crews are strengthening primary and contingency lines by improving hand and dozer line, using roads and ridgelines as control features. As additional personnel and equipment arrive, incident command is relocating base camp to a larger site to accommodate the increased resources supporting suppression operations.
Aviation resources are working directly with ground crews, using water and retardant to slow fire spread and reduce fire intensity in key areas. UAS crews are also supporting firing operations and using infrared technology to identify heat near control lines so firefighters can quickly address areas that could threaten containment progress.
1,228 personnel are assigned, including 87 engines, 30 hand crews, 13 dozers, 20 water tenders, and 14 helicopters. Hot and dry conditions continue to influence fire behavior, with potential for increased activity. Operational priorities remain firefighter and public safety, structure protection, holding established control features, and limiting additional fire spread.
WEATHER: Today begin warm and dry before a weak front brought slightly cooler and more humid conditions in the afternoon. Smoke may linger along the coast until atmospheric mixing improves around 1 p.m. High based clouds may produce virga, rain that evaporates before reaching the ground, which could create gusty and erratic winds near the fire. Firefighters will closely monitor these changing conditions throughout the day.
CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS: A 40‑mile stretch of Highway 1 in Big Sur is now closed to support Timber and Plaskett Fire operations. The closure runs from Gorda (PM 10.2) to just north of Captain Cooper Elementary (PM 50.1). Please avoid unnecessary travel in the area and use US 101 as an alternate route. Electronic signs are in place.
EACUATIONS AND CLOSURES: Evacuation warnings and orders are in effect. For current information and to sign up for alerts, view the Interactive Evacuation Page and Monterey County’s Department of Emergency Management website.
AREA CLOSURE: The Los Padres National Forest has issued an Area Closure for Forest Service managed lands surrounding the Timber Fire. Full text of the closure order, maps, and affected recreation sites is available at the Los Padres National Forest – Alerts and Notices Page.
August 26, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Overnight fire activity stayed minimal after a strong inversion settled around 2:00 a.m., slowing spread across the fire. On the southwest side, Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) flights over Logwood Creek found no significant heat and only limited backing fire. Crews improved control features above Highway 1, with no flare-ups reported. In the northwest, the fire crossed the Ventana Creek drainage overnight and is expected to move toward Manuel Peak. To the northeast, firefighters advanced hand-line work along Pine Ridge Trail toward the Big Sur River. Along the coastal side of the fire, firefighters continue to strengthen control lines for future holding operations.
Fire activity is expected to increase this today as drying and southwest winds support more active movement in the Ventana Wilderness. Today’s main operational focus is on upslope fire activity toward Manuel Peak in the northwest and in the southwest with continued backing fire toward Pick Creek in the South Fork Big Sur drainage. Warm, very dry conditions will persist, with conditions approaching red flag conditions, with expected temperatures in upper 80s to low 90s and humidity in the single digits once the inversion breaks near midday. Southwest winds will elevate fire-weather concerns through Thursday, along with poor overnight humidity recovery and warm nighttime temperatures.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 3 has now assumed command of the Timber Fire, taking over responsibility for all incident operations and planning.
Weather and Fire Behavior: As the morning fog cleared, weather turned much warmer and drier today. Very low humidity makes vegetation easier to burn, though the marine layer is expected to return to the area overnight.
August 23, 2026 at 10:50 AM Due to critically low relative humidity and severe nocturnal drying, the two areas of increased fire activity continued to the northeast and east of the fire. On the northeastern side, the fire is well established north of the Big Sur River in the Lion Creek drainage and perimeter growth is expected to the north near Ventana Cone. Overnight, fire activity was moderated in this area as it backed slowly into the drainage. Due to the complex topography with steep, rugged terrain and intersecting river canyons, aircraft continues to be the primary resource on this part of the fire. Active fire is expected today due to predicted warmer, drier and windier conditions. This will once again result in visible smoke.
On the eastern side of the fire, east of Mount Olmstead and north of Logwood Creek, the fire has crossed the South Fork of the Big Sur River and continues to burn to the east. Fire crews continue to prepare for burning operations along Coast Ridge Road to the south toward Anderson Peak. Firefighters will continue reinforcing contingency lines to the north and south of the fire.
WEATHER:
Elevated fire weather conditions are expected with continued warm and dry conditions predicted. Winds are expected to vary significantly by location depending on terrain and slope.
CLOSURES:
Los Padres National Forest has a closure order in effect for trails and roads in the fire area.
EVACUATION ORDERS: MRY-F028-C MRY-F029
EVACUATION WARNINGS: MRY-F021-B, MRY-F022, MRY-F023, MRY-F024, MRY-F025, MRY-F026
MRY-F027-A, MRY-F027-B, MRY-F028-A, MRY-F028-B, MRY-F028-D
August 20, 2026 at 7:56 AM
The marine layer did not develop overnight as it has been. This gave firefighters opportunities to further strengthen containment lines, mop up, and address any hot spots along the coastal part of the fire.
The eastern side of the fire continues to see the most activity and includes two areas. On the northeastern side, the fire continues to back slowly toward the Big Sur River, in the southeastern portion, near Longwood Ridge, the fire is burning through patchy areas of vegetation.
Today helicopters will continue to use water drops and retardant to address the eastern activity of the fire. Crews will continue to extend contingency lines to the north and south of the fire.
Warm and dry conditions are forecast for today. Marine layer clouds are expected along the coast with clear skies later this morning. In the higher elevations, clear skies with some scattered high clouds are expected.
August 15, 2026 at 8:07 AM
Yesterday’s clear skies allowed firefighters to do a good assessment on the fire. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) showed some remaining heat in the heavy vegetation above houses, and crews are targeting those areas today. The area around Castro Canyon showed the most remaining heat. Aircraft hit the fire hard yesterday, reinforcing and connecting lines that were not yet completed by firefighters.
Firefighters took advantage of the conditions to clean up remaining vegetation between the active fire edge and containment line using burning operations along Partington Road. Those operations were successful and were halted when the window of opportunity closed at around 3pm.
Dozer and handline is complete on the north side of the fire in the steep drainage to the Big Sur River. Rollout continues to occur there, but the fire did not progress much over the Pine Ridge Trail system yesterday.
The east side of the fire was more active yesterday with drier conditions. A considerable push of heavy equipment has been moved into place and fire lines from previous fires are being opened and reinforced.
Similar weather to yesterday is predicted for today, with a cloudy start with some afternoon sunshine. Any morning clouds along ridges and east of the fire should erode quickly with winds increasing in the afternoon. A warming and drying trend is predicted through the weekend and into next week.
August 14, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Community meeting in Big Sur where you’ll learn important details about the Timber Fire.
The meeting will be held Friday, August 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., at the Big Sur River Inn at 46800 CA-1, Big Sur, CA, 93920.
Community members are encouraged to attend for the latest information and updates.
Evacuation Orders have been issued for the following zones:
MRY-FO23
MRY-F025
MRY-F026
MRY-F027
MRY-F028-A
Evacuation Warnings have been issued for the following zones:
MRY-FO21-B
MRY-FO22
MRY-F024
MRY-F028-B
MRY-FO29
Temporary Evacuation Point
Carmel Middle School
4380 Carmel Valley Road
Carmel, CA 93923
The heavy marine layer moderated fire activity, and the fire is currently hung up above the houses on the east side of Highway 1. Crews continue to create containment lines behind the houses and remain on scene at each structure. Some of this is complete, but steep drainages make this work very difficult, especially without the assistance of aircraft which has been severely limited by fog.
In addition, a dozer line is being constructed along Coast Ridge Road south from De Angulo Canyon southwest toward Highway 1 for use as a contingency line should it become necessary.
To the north, the fire has crossed the Pine Ridge Trail system and is backing towards the Big Sur River. Contingency lines are in place should it cross the river. Cooler, wetter conditions also helped lessen fire activity on the east side of the fire. The fire has crossed Longwood Creek and is currently on Olmstead Mountain. A deep marine layer has moved in and will dominate the Highway 1 corridor in the area the next few days. Expect warmer and drier conditions by the weekend.
August 12, 2026 at 6:42 AM
The Timber Fire acreage has increased to 3,150. The fire stayed active in the higher elevations above the fog line. It grew up steep hillsides, ignited individual trees, and slowly crept downhill.
Firefighters continue working to build containment line on the Timber Fire along the Highway 1 corridor. The fire is moving at a slow rate of spread, burning primarily along the ground through grass, brush, and oak woodland. It has not moved into the treetops. Ground crews are working to access difficult terrain while aircraft support them from above by dropping water and retardant on active areas to slow the fire’s growth.
A major focus of the response is protecting nearby homes and preventing the fire from crossing Highway 1. Safety remains the highest priority as commanders adjust their strategy to changing weather and terrain. Residents and drivers are asked to stay alert for increased emergency vehicle traffic along Highway 1 and to keep clear of active firefighting areas. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
August 11, 2026 at 10:04 PM
The Timber Fire continued to back down towards structures in Ventana today, as well as toward structures along Grimes and Stoney Ridges as it spread south towards Partington Road. Firefighters remain actively engaged in structure defense this evening, and they will remain there overnight. Aircraft, including the DC10, was used heavily after the inversion lifted midday to assist firefighters on the ground in these areas.
Small up slope runs and single tree torching continued today, especially on the northern part of the fire and in the brush fields in the higher elevations.
While the goal is to keep the overall footprint of the Timber Fire as small as possible, resources currently on scene are focusing now on structure defense on the west side of the fire. As additional resources arrive, they will engage on the less accessible eastern edge.
WEATHER:
Tonight’s weather is expected to be cool and cloudy at the coast, with a small chance of drizzle. Areas above approximately 1200-1500 feet are expected to remain clear and dry with light winds.
CLOSURES:
Highway 1 remains closed between Fernwood Resort (north side at 47200 Highway 1) and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point (south side).
EVACUATION ORDERS:
MRY-F023
MRY-F025
MRY-F026
MRY-F027
MRY-F028-A
EVACUATION WARNINGS:
MRY-F021-B
MRY-F022
MRY-F024
MRY-F028-B
MRY-F029
August 11, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Fire growth is expected in east and southeast direction. If the fire becomes established in the Longwood creek drainage high potential for slope reversal and fire growth to the east into the wilderness. Branch 50 is priority number 1 for the incident, and Branch 20 is priority number 2 for incident.
Overnight, the northern and eastern portions of the fire remained active, burning primarily above the marine layer. Firefighters observed single tree torching and upslope runs. The fire continues to hold on the east side of Highway 1.
Firefighters continued to protect structures primarily near Highway 1 in the Ventana area. They cleared brush and other potential threats around property, set up water systems, and secured access for firefighters and firefighting apparatus. The heavy marine layer prevented night flying helicopters by limiting visibility to dip sites located below the marine layer. Crews are actively working to establish a water dip site above the inversion layer today.
WEATHER: Early to mid-week, warmer and dryer conditions are expected over the eastern portions of the fire. There is a 15% chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening.
EVACUATION ORDERS:
• MRY-F025
• MRY-F026
• MRY-F027
• MRY-F028-A
EVACUATION WARNINGS:
• MRY-F024
• MRY-F028-B
• MRY-FO23
Fire is burning in the Sobranes Fire scar from 2016. Grass and brush fuel type on the western slopes with a timber understory on the eastern slopes.