Soberanes Fire Forces Evacuations
The Soberanes Fire started burning the morning of July 22nd within the Garrapata State Park to the south of Monterey. As of August 3rd, it had grown to over 45,800 acres forcing some 350 residents to evacuate. Damage assessments report 57 residences and 11 outbuildings burned, along with 3 structures and 2 outbuildings damaged (mostly in Palo Colorado).
Tragically, one fatality has occurred as the result of the fire. Robert Oliver Reagan III, 35, of Friant in Fresno County was killed when his bulldozer overturned while helping to battle the fire in the remote southeast region of the fire.
Firefighters On Scene
Currently, there are more than 5,300 firefighters on scene fighting the blaze in remote and rugged terrain. Crews have established five fire lines around the valley, and in the last few days have lit several backfires on the south end of the fire perimeter to slow the spread. Six power outages have been reported since the fire’s inception and flames continue to threaten infrastructure. Pacific Gas and Electric crews have begun the task of repairing powerlines and hope to return service to the areas affected as quickly as possible.
CalFire reports that full containment is not expected until August 31st, and the final burn scar could potentially reach 165,000 acres. RedZone will continue to closely monitor the fire’s growth to the south and east in the coming days and weeks.
Soberanes Fire Facts As of 08/03/2016:
- Location: Carmel, CA
- Size: 45,800 acres
- Containment: 25%
- Fire Behavior: Fire spread through steep, rugged and inaccessible terrain.
- Structures Threatened: 2,000
- Structures Destroyed: 57 homes, 11 outbuildings
- Incident Page: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4888/#
