Cal Fire relocates all non-essential personnel from Toro Park base camp
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Cal Fire officials at Toro Park are relocating all non-essential personnel to work somewhere else after flames from the River Fire came close to encroaching on their base camp Thursday evening.
Essential staff are staying behind to continue managing the two fires burning in that area, the River Fire and the Carmel Fire.
Crews of firefighters watched as flames began sweeping over the hill over Toro Park, but Cal Fire was able to call in some air support to suppress the fire.
Multiple helicopters flew sorties at the top of the ridge, luckily coming just before nightfall and stopped the fire from advancing down the hill.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office also announced they are issuing an emergency evacuation order for River Road, closing it down because too many people were parking on the side to watch the fire and getting in the way of first responders.
"If you didn't evacuate, please stay home and don't drive through your neighborhoods. This causes congestion and delayed response for the fire units. Please stay out of the fire lines," said Sheriff Steve Bernal.
The sheriff went on to say deputies already responded to several people walking in the fire lines, telling them to leave.
Asked at what point it would take for Cal Fire to evacuate all personnel from the Toro Park base camp, one official told KION they would make sure it won't get to that point.
