Wildfire in Big Sur closes part of California’s Highway 1, forces evacuations

The American Red Cross opened a shelter late Friday evening for some California residents who received mandatory evacuation orders due to a fire that also shut down Highway 1 south of Carmel, CBS SF Bay Area reports.

The fire, called the Colorado Fire, was first reported at about 7:30 p.m. and had grown to between 75 and 100 acres as of 11 p.m., Cal Fire officials said late Friday. The emergency shelter for residents of the Palo Colorado area of Monterey County opened at 11:30 p.m. at Carmel Middle School.

The California Highway Patrol closed Highway 1 at Rio Road just outside of Carmel-by-the-Sea due to the fire. From south of the fire, Highway 1 was closed at Andrew Molera State Park, just north of Big Sur.