How Big Sur’s Timber Fire Tripled to 19,296 Acres in Just Two Days
Coast reopens while fire moves inland into rugged terrain
The Timber Fire in Big Sur has grown to 19,296 acres in just a few days. The blaze started on Aug. 8 and doubled in size over the weekend. It is now the third biggest fire of 2026 in California according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire is 23% contained. This expansion brings the total area affected to roughly 30 square miles. Fire managers for the U.S. Forest Service provided these details.
While Highway 1 reopened to allow residents to check their homes on the coast, the fire moved inland. It expanded into rugged terrain that is harder to access. This expansion forced new evacuation orders on Tuesday. The evacuation area grew to cover about 150 square miles. This creates a difficult situation for people living near the fire lines who want to return home.
Looking at the biggest fires of the year provides context for the scale. The top fire is Bug at 93,733 acres. This fire started just west of the state line and burned more than 80,000 acres in Nevada. Biscar is the second largest fire at 69,355 acres in Lassen County. Timber follows as the third largest. Other major fires include Santa Rosa Island at 18,379 acres and Elephant at 13,930 acres. This list shows a pattern of large fires burning across the state.
Visualizing the perimeter helps officials and residents understand the risk. The map above shows the evacuation area in red and the approximate fire perimeter as a black line. For those needing real-time updates including warning areas, checking the map is essential. The data helps track the fire's progress through the rugged landscape.
First reported by mercurynews.com.
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