Hundreds flee as wildfire rages on Calif. Coast

Hundreds of residents have been forced to flee after a wildfire broke out in the mountains over Big Sur.

The blaze broke out on Friday and was fanned by winds of up to 50mph – burning over 2 square miles of redwood trees, according to the spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Over 450 residents between Big Sur and Carmel were urged to leave their homes as the wildfire raged on. The winds died down after authorities closed parts of Highway 1 – the same parts that collapsed last year and in 2017.

Just under 300 firefighters and volunteers are busy combating this fire. So far, about 20% of it has been contained.

Strong winds and drier conditions have long been the reason for wildfires across California. Experts find a wildfire of this size around this time of the year unusual and the cause is under investigation.

No rain is expected to fall in Big Sur but the lack of strong winds is expected to help firefighters contain this fire.