Law enforcement remind public to stay clear of evacuation zones

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Neighborhood entrances along River Road in Salinas are blocked by road closure signs after days of enforced evacuations.

Law enforcement from multiple agencies are stationed in the area and are preventing people from entering the evacuation zone.

Esperanza Ramos, a Las Palmas Ranch resident, returned to the neighborhood to pack up more of her house, but was denied entry. "We still have a lot of valuable things like my son's pictures, our wedding pictures and a lot of stuff that we cannot replace should it get lost," said Ramos.

The Ramos family has stayed in a hotel on the peninsula over the past few days. Ramos said she is doing her best to stay positive.

Law enforcement stress the importance of staying away from the evacuation zones. "We will continue patrols all day and all hours of the nights to protect all areas that are under the evacuation order," said Monterey County Sheriff, Steve Bernal, at a press conference on Sunday night.

Bernal said it is important that roads near evacuation zones stay clear for first responders.

"We hope the conditions continue the way they are. We will rely on CalFire to make decisions on when these orders should be lifted," said Bernal.

To sign up for evacuation alerts, visit: www.alertmontereycounty.org.

To view a full evacuation map for Monterey County, visit: www.co.monterey.ca.us.