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Big Sur: Authorities have ordered the remaining residents of this scenic coastal community to leave because an out-of-control wildfire, one of hundreds in California, had jumped a fire line and was threatening more homes.
Flames raged in the hills above and ash fell from orange skies as evacuees in packed cars streamed north along Highway 1, the only major road out of Big Sur. Sheriff's deputies told residents they needed to leave the area.
The blaze near Big Sur is one of more than 1,100 wildfires, mostly ignited by lightning, that have scorched more than 2,000 square kilometres and destroyed 64 homes and buildings across northern and central California since June 20, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
New mandatory evacuation notices were issued on Wednesday for a 50-kilometre stretch along Highway 1. Authorities have closed a total of 40 kilometres of the scenic roadway, blocking access to popular resorts, restaurants, shops and art galleries that attract tourists from around the world.
More destruction
The blaze had destroyed 16 homes and charred about 210 square kilometres of forest since it was started by lightning on June 21 in the Los Padres National Forest.
It was only about three per cent contained and officials told evacuees at a public meeting on Wednesday evening that they did not expect full containment until the end of the month.
The new evacuation notice means that all of the roughly 850 residents who live along the Big Sur coast from Andrew Molera State Park to Limekiln State Park have been ordered to leave, Marshall said.
Helicopters hauling large containers of water droned loudly overhead as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, R. David Paulison, visited Big Sur on Wednesday.
"This is a very dangerous fire right now because of the wind and because of how dry things are and how early in the year it is," Paulison said. "If people evacuate like they're told to, we shouldn't lose any lives. My only concern is that people don't take it seriously enough."
Federal fire managers predict an increase in wildfire activity in northern California through October due to the unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain.
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