Crews share efforts to contain River and Carmel Fires
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION)
UPDATE 8/21/2020 7:30 p.m. Cal Fire and the Monterey County Sheriff's Office shared an update on evacuations and the effort to contain the Carmel and River Fires.
The River Fire has burned 42,583 acres and is 12% contained, and the Carmel Fire has burned 5,069 acres and is 5% contained.
Evacuation warnings were issued in the area between Corral de Tierra and Laureles Grade and around Carmel Valley Village. About 20,000 people have been subjected to evacuation orders or warnings in Monterey County.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office is warning people to avoid the areas around Carmel Valley and Highway 68 to allow people to evacuate with less congestion.
This weekend, crews are expecting a weather change and change in wind direction, but there is also a chance of another dry lightning storm.
UPDATE 8/19/2020 7:20 p.m. Cal Fire reports that the River Fire south of Salinas has grown to 15,050 acres, and the Carmel Fire has grown to 2,150 acres.
There is no containment for the Carmel Fire, and the River Fire is 7% contained.
Officials said they are trying to cut off the bottom of the fire extending toward Gonzales, but they are also working through Toro Park to fight the fire near San Benancio Road. Sheriff Bernal said several thousand people were evacuated along River Road Wednesday, but they are trying to evacuate on River Road, so he asks that people stay away from River Road whenever possible.
New evacuation orders were issued in the area around the Carmel Fire as well. Officials said the fire has grown to the east and west. One person had minor to moderate burns as a result of the fire, but that person was treated on scene and refused transport to a hospital.
Cal Fire said the fires are 1.8 miles apart, so crews do not expect that the fires will merge.
Crews do not anticipate more evacuation orders overnight, but conditions may change. They said no evacuations are expected on the Monterey peninsula.
PREVIOUS STORY: The three fires currently burning in Monterey County.
The largest of the two is the River Fire, which has burned more than 10,000 acres and is only 7% contained. New evacuation orders and warnings have been issued throughout the morning.
More than 1,500 structures were threatened as of the last update, and six have been destroyed.
There are road closures in place at Pine Canyon at Mesa Road and River Road at Parker Road. An evacuation center is open at Toro Park School.
The Carmel Fire has burned 742 acres and currently has no containment. There are evacuation orders in place in the area surrounding Cachagua Road between Sky Ranch Road and Asoleado Drive.
An evacuation center has opened at the Carmel Valley Library at 65 W. Carmel Valley Road. 311 structures are threatened and three have been destroyed.
