Crime & Safety
River Fire Grows In Monterey; 2 New Blazes In Carmel, Big Sur
River Fire grows overnight. Carmel Valley fire threatens structures & causes evacuations. Blaze breaks out near John Little reserve.
MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — As the River Fire grew in size Tuesday, two more fires confronted crews in Monterey County.
The Carmel Fire started at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Carmel Valley Road at Cachagua Road in the unincorporated community of Carmel Valley and by 7 p.m. it had burned 1,200 acres, with zero containment and 60 structures threatened.
Evacuations were ordered for the area east of Cachagua Road including Sky Ranch, Tributaries and Via Cielo. The cause is undetermined.
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An active fire also started Tuesday evening near John Little State Natural Reserve on the Big Sur Coast, but official details were not immediately available.
The River Fire, sparked by a lightning strike in Monterey County on Sunday, had grown to 4,500 acres by Tuesday night and was only 7 percent contained, Cal Fire said.
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"Mountainous, steep terrain with difficult access to the fire is still a challenge for firefighters," Cal Fire reported.
The blaze, was first reported shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday near River and Pine Canyon roads south of Salinas. It has destroyed six structures, damaged two others and is still threatening more than 1,500 others, Cal Fire officials said.
Evacuations have been ordered in the area of Pine Canyon Road, Parker Road, Laurel Lane and Trimble Hill Lane, and warnings have been issued for other nearby areas.
An evacuation center was set up at Toro Park School, 22500 Portola Drive in Salinas. People affected by the fire can also call the American Red Cross 24-hour hotline at (866) 272-2237.
Four firefighters have reported minor injuries as a result of the fire, which isn't expected to be fully contained until Aug. 30, according to Cal Fire.
The SPCA for Monterey County reported that it has been "rescuing, evacuating, and sheltering pets from" during evacuations from the fires.
"We are now sheltering 50 dogs, 27 cats, four parrots, three chickens, two goats, one rabbit, and two parakeets evacuated from the fires, with more coming," the organization said on its Twitter account Tuesday evening.
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--Bay City News
