Plaskett Fire near Gorda surges past 2,700 acres as Highway 1 stays closed
By Ricardo Tovar
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GORDA, California (KSBW) — The Plaskett Fire near Gorda has grown to approximately 2,774 acres and remains at zero containment as of Friday morning, according to CAL FIRE.
That is an increase of roughly 1,000 acres since the previous acreage update.
Fire activity remained limited overnight, but firefighters expect conditions to become more active as fuels dry out, according to an incident report update on Friday morning. Crews are focused on structure defense and developing plans to protect threatened properties.
Heavy helicopters are being used for suppression efforts and targeted structure defense. Two dedicated air attacks have been assigned to the area, with Type 1 and Type 2 helicopters and uncrewed aircraft systems supporting firefighting operations. Air tanker availability may be limited because of high demand nationwide.
Cooler, moist conditions and light rain are giving way to drier weather Friday. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect because of the potential for isolated thunderstorms, which could produce erratic winds and gusts of up to 40 mph.
Firefighters are also preparing for possible spotting distances of approximately 0.1 to 0.2 miles as conditions worsen.
The cause remains under investigation.
Highway 1 remains closed from one mile south of the Little Sur River at Mile Marker 56 to north of Gorda at Mile Marker 10.2.
The closure covers nearly 50 miles and will remain in place until further notice. There is no estimated time for the highway to reopen.
The Plaskett Fire prompted an additional closure covering nearly 6 miles, from Milepost 16.0 north of Pacific Valley Ranger Station to Milepost 10.1 at Gorda By the Sea Mini Mart.
Evacuation orders mean there is an immediate threat to life and residents must leave. Warnings indicate a potential threat to life or property, and people who need additional time to evacuate should leave now.
For evacuees, a shelter is open at the Carmel Mission Inn Conference Room, 3665 Rio Road in Carmel.
For evacuation assistance, call the virtual Temporary Evacuation Point at 831-647-7760.
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