Remembering the Big Sur Basin Fire

It has been a year since the Basin/Indian fires burned hundreds of square miles in the Big Sur hills. I have re-opened the page on my web site for remembrance of what it was like here last July 4th. Take a look if you get a chance and are of a mind to do so. You do not see something like this every day.

You can see the page here: http://montereyjohnphotography.com/Big-Sur-Basin-Fire.html

Summer of Fire 2008 - The Indians and Basin Fires At and Near Big Sur

As we approach year's end, this seems to be about as good a time as any to reprise the big event locally of this year, the great Big Sur fires.

This first image from just down the street from our house on the first day the smoke blew up from the South. It was eerie and a bit frightening. I had never seen anything like it before.

The next is up the Salinas Valley near the Aroyo Seco. This was the Indians Fire that was the first of the two huge blazes that consumed so much of the Los Padres forest.

The last picture is taken just north of Big Bur on the coast and is of the Basin Fire which very nearly destroyed the town of Big Sur.

Big Sur Basin Fire Beginning to End

This is a page from my web site that I dedicated to The Big Sur Basin Fire. There are a lot of images there and a short YouTube video. Please feel free to pay a visit.

Big Sur Basin Fire - Aftermath

What is left of The Big Sur Basin Fire has moved inland. I took a bit of time today to drive down to the "old coast road" between Bixby Bridge and Andrew Molera State Park. Rather than a "road" it is more of a glorified firebreak. However, it does provide access to the hills above Big Sur where the fire has been burning for a month consuming more than 130,000 acres or 200 square miles. The devastation is impressive.

Everywhere up there in the Santa Lucia Mountains in the Los Padres National Forest there are signs of the heroic efforts of the fire fighters. The fire was literally stopped at the road's edge. Brush and trees freshly cut with chainsaws are plentiful. On the mountainsides there are breaks where a line bewtween green and black is plainly discernable.

I can not imagine how these men stood on the steep mountainsides let alone did what they did to stop the fire.


A bulldozer stands silent after weeks of fighting the blaze in the Big Sur hills.

This is how and where the fire was eventually stopped, cutting back the trees and brush over tens of thousands of acres. It must have been backbreaking. The firefighters took a stand and they won against the inferno.

Big Sur Basin Fire - And Still It Burns

The Big Sur Basin Fire still burns in the Carmel Valley. This is a view from the east side of the hills in the Salinas Valley this afternoon.

Big Sur Basin Fire - Carmel Valley

This fire is on the second ridge over from us at 4:00 this afternoon. This is the Big Sur fire moving this way. They say that it is under control. I sure hope so!

Clint Eastwood lives over in those hills. Guess he will just rent an air force of tankers and helicopters to protect his spread :)

More Big Sur Basin fire images and be found here.

Big Sur "Basin Fire" - Inferno on The Cental Coast

I spent the better part of two days along Route 1 from Big Sur Valley to Point Sur documenting this enormous fire and the heroic firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze. It has been heart breaking to watch this beautiful part of California go up in smoke. As this is written it is not known whether the village of Big Sur will be saved or just how far the fire will spread.

More Big Sur Basin Fire images here.

Big Sur Basin Fire - From the Ashes They Will Rise

This aptly placed Phoenix at Nepenthe in Big Sur captures the atmosphere around Big Sur as the evacuation is cancelled and Route 1 is opened from Carmel to Big Sur.
The village was saved. God bless the firefighters.

More Big Sur Basin fire images here.

Big Sur Basin Fire - The Fight Goes On

This helicopter was photographed on July 2nd at Pt Sur as it fought the Basin Fire which is still burning today.

More images from the Basin Fire can be seen here.

Big Sur Basin Fire - US Forest Service Map of North End of Fire Near Big Sur

Click on image to enlarge.

More Big Sur Basin Fire images here.

Big Sur Basin Fire - 4th of July - Proudly "Old Glory" Waves

It is a difficult 4th here on The Central Coast. But the flag still waves over the firefighters protecting our lives as so many have before them. God bless them and America. Happy 4th of July!

Many more images of the Basin Fire can be found at my web site MontereyJohn.com.

Night of Fire at Big Sur

Fearful beauty burns over Big Sur on Wednesday night. As of today, Friday, the fire is now north of Bixby Bridge and inching its way toward Carmel Valley. Where will it be stopped?

Big Sur Basin Fire - Flash Show of Images from an Inferno

This fire is a major tragedy for The Central Coast of California. I spent two days shooting at the scene and created a Flash show to share with others my impressions. It can be found here.

The Basin Fire - Inferno in Big Sur

This image is looking down Route 1 into the entrance to the valley of Big Sur. The Pacific Ocean is to the right and the Los Padres National Forest to the left. The village of Big Sur is just a few miles down the valley.

The flames have crested the hills from another valley further inland and are approaching Route 1. The persistant breeze off the ocean slows the advance of the fire. There are over 2,000 firefighters on the scene. As I was returning home I met a convoy of fresh firefighters and equipment on their wat to fight the blaze.

The Basin Fire - Heroes of Big Sur

Yesterday I drove down to Big Sur to take a look at the Basin Fire. It is enormous and out of control. It has been burning for over a week since the area experienced dry lightning strikes. It is the second huge fire in the area that between them have burned something over 80,000 acres.

Fighting those fires are many heroic firefighters. Conspicuous among these brave people are the pilots of the helicopters that scoop up water and dump it on the blaze in an effort to keep the fire from spreading into habitated areas. They dive into the steep canyons where there is precious little maneuvering room and flame generated updrafts to deliver their cargo. It takes skill and guts.

This chopper has delivered its load of water and is on its way back to the coast to reload.