California’s famous coastal highway partially closed on Saturday because of a wildfire that began late on Friday night.
Fire officials said the 1,200-acre fire was only 10% contained on Saturday afternoon. No injuries have been reported.
The Solimar Beach region was under mandatory evacuation orders for 60 homes. An additional 30 homes nearby were under voluntary evacuation orders.
A section of Highway 101, a key north-south route, remained closed on Saturday afternoon, forcing holiday travelers to use alternative routes.
Fire officials said they hope to reopen the closed 15-mile-long section of the scenic highway soon, but cautioned that it could take three days to contain the fire.
More than 600 firefighters have been dispatched to fight the blaze, which is about 60 miles north of Los Angeles.
“This is a very dynamic fire,” said Norm Plott, division chief of Ventura County fire department, at a press conference Saturday morning.
A prime concern is high winds, which forecasters expect to shift throughout the day, potentially extending the borders of the fire. Sustained winds of 15-20mph are expected for Saturday, with gusts as strong as 30mph.
An existing wind advisory will likely still be in place on Sunday. Officials said they are planning for such a situation.
“This is not a contained fire,” Plott said. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
Helicopters and air tankers are also being used to dispense water from the air.
California governor Jerry Brown’s department of finance said last week that it would take $83m from a reserve fund to help pay for recovery efforts from the Butte and Valley fires which ravaged northern California earlier this year.
The state is expected to ask for an additional $105m next month when the state legislature returns from winter recess. The entire recovery effort is expected to cost the state at least $234m, marking one of the most expensive California wildfires in recent years.
