BIG SUR, Calif. — Piles of charred rubble smoldered along California’s scenic coastal highway Thursday as a ferocious wildfire descended on Big Sur.
The stubborn blaze, which has burned more than 100 square miles in the Los Padres National Forest, was just one of hundreds raging around the state. And officials Thursday reported California’s first firefighter death this year — a volunteer who collapsed on the fire line in Mendocino County.
So much forest has burned near Big Sur that animals have been forced out. Residents reported seeing bears, deer and other big animals migrating toward the Pacific Ocean.
At least 20 homes have been destroyed in the area since the blaze broke out June 21. The fire remained only 5 percent contained Thursday evening.
A total of 367 wildfires are burning in the state, most ignited by lightning, according to officials. That figure is down from a peak of roughly 1,500 fires a few days ago.
In all, the wildfires have scorched more than 790 square miles and destroyed at least 65 structures across northern and central California since June 20.
