A wildfire north of Big Sur grew to more than 104 square miles on Tuesday as more than 5,000 firefighters surrounded 50 percent of the fire with the help of air tankers and helicopters.
According to The Associated Press, the wildfire is now in its third week. While some residents in the Big Sur area have been allow to return to their homes, five state parks along U.S. Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco remain closed.
The Soberanes fire has killed one person and injured three and continues to threaten more than 400 homes, according to the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper said that some mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for the area.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection stated on its website Wednesday that the Soberanes blaze, which was started by an illegal campfire, has destroyed 57 homes and 11 "outbuildings," while three other structures have been damaged.
The Monterey Herald reported last week that fire officials used controlled burns as one way to contain the blaze.
"We had a large firing out operation on the south and east side of the fire, and that was all back burns," said Hugo Patino, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "We also did have a large area towards the southwest that grew under its own progression. That was a significant piece of property that contributed to the growth of the fire."
Meanwhile, a wildfire in the San Bernardino County mountains grew to more than 7,700 acres Tuesday, putting thousands of homes in danger, reported the Los Angeles Times. That fire, which was six percent contained, forced schools to close.
Residents living in 5,000 homes are under either voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders, Bob Poole, a spokesman for the state's forest agency, told the Times. The blaze has spread quickly since it was first reported on Sunday.
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