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Wildfire in Big Sur burns 300 acres; dozens are evacuated

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A fire in Monterey County has burned more than 300 acres of dense, dry vegetation, prompting some evacuations in the Big Sur area, officials said.

Dubbed the Pfeiffer fire, the blaze started late Sunday near the intersection of Pfeiffer Ridge Road and Highway 1, said Andrew Madsen, a spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest. At least 50 people have been evacuated from the area, he said.

Air tankers, four helicopters and a strike team of engines from the Angeles National Forest were assisting crews on the ground, who are working to put containment lines in place, Madsen said. Officials have determined a point of origin for the fire near the Big Sur Lodge, but how it sparked remained under investigation.

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No injuries have been reported.

“This serves as a reminder that fire season in California is year round,” Madsen said.

Firefighters are optimistic about containing the fire, though offshore winds and the warming trend could present a challenge, he added.

“Obviously, we’ve moved out of that really cold pattern we’ve had for the past week or so,” Madsen said. “This is an area that hasn’t had fire in a while, a lot of the vegetation is very dry.”

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Twitter: @Sam_Schaefer

Samantha.Schaefer@latimes.com

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