{
  "id": 4308766,
  "title": "Fire in California’s Big Sur region doubles in size overnight, forcing evacuations",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/fire-in-californias-big-sur-region-doubles-in-size-overnight-forcing",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-29T23:51:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/29/californias-wildfire-big-sur"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A wildfire in California's Big Sur region has more than doubled in size overnight, compelling the evacuation of nearby towns. The Plaskett fire, which ignited on Tuesday, has consumed over 5,900 acres (2,400 hectares) in Monterey County as of Friday, and is still uncontained, according to authorities from Cal Fire. The origin of the fire is under investigation.\n\nFirefighters have been employing helicopters and air tankers to battle the flames with precise water drops; however, the challenging terrain and sparse roads in the remote area have impeded ground crews' efforts to reach the fire. In the meantime, the Timber fire to the north continues to burn across more than 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares), with only 21% containment reported. Authorities have noted that the blaze has breached containment lines.\n\nBoth fires have led to partial road closures on Highway 1, a picturesque route that connects Los Angeles and San Francisco, providing stunning views along California's coastal stretch.",
  "summary": "Plaskett fire has swept through more than 5,900 acres in Monterey county and remains un-contained, says Cal Fire A fire in California’s Big Sur region doubled in size overnight, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, in a coastal region where firefighters have battled another blaze for weeks. The Plaskett fire, which sparked on Tuesday, had swept through more than 5,900 acres (2,400…",
  "key_points": [
    "Plaskett fire in Big Sur region doubles to 5,900 acres overnight",
    "Evacuations ordered for nearby towns due to uncontained wildfire",
    "Timber fire north burns 24,000 acres with 21% containment"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}