A crew of about 50 Cal Fire San Diego firefighters is headed up the coast to help defend against the Colorado Fire burning in Big Sur.
The support crew consists of a 1-engine strike team and two hand crews, according to Cal Fire spokesperson Thomas Shoots. The crew left Saturday evening and will be on post as long as they're needed, Shoots said.
As of around 7 p.m., the fire had grown to more than 1,500 acres and was 20% contained.
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The fire broke out Friday night in a steep canyon. Fanned by wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph), it quickly burned at least 2.3 square miles (6 square kilometers) of brush and redwood trees, said Cecile Juliette, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Authorities made contact with about 500 residents, urging them to evacuate the sparsely populated area between Carmel and Big Sur. More than 250 firefighters from multiple agencies and volunteer groups, aided by water-dropping aircraft, contained 5% of the blaze.
