Hundreds of firefighters rush to fight raging Big Sur fire

by Jenna Romaine | June 22, 2021 | Jun. 22, 2021

Story at a glance

More than 500 firefighters are working to contain a wildfire that ignited near Big Sur late last week.
The Willow fire has burned more than 2,800 acres in Monterey County since it broke out on Thursday evening.
The wildfire is one of many others that are raging in the West, including Arizona and New Mexico.

Firefighters are still working to contain a wildfire that ignited near Big Sur late last week.

The Willow fire has burned more than 2,800 acres in Monterey County since it broke out on Thursday evening, with more than 500 firefighters and personnel working to contain the blaze.

On Monday, an evacuation order was issued for multiple campgrounds within the Los Padres National Forest, as well as the Tassajara Zen Center. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

The wildfire is one of many others that are raging in the West, including Arizona and New Mexico, with a deadly heat wave offering prime conditions for sparking and spreading wildfires.

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Some scientists believe the Western United States is on the verge of a permanent drought, which is characterized by an unchanging dry climate, sparse vegetation and increased risk of wildfires.

Recent years have seen expansive droughts and longer fire seasons.

The 2020 fire season was the West’s worst in recent history. Both California and Colorado experienced their largest fires ever reported, and fire season itself is two to three months longer now than it was a few decades ago.

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