Plaskett

Containment lines encircle fire perimeter as mop-up and road repairs continue

The Plaskett Fire is burning in steep, rugged chaparral and timber east of Plaskett in southern Monterey County. Over the last 72 hours, firefighters connected containment lines around the entire fire perimeter and conducted strategic firing operations to consume unburned interior fuels. Threat to surrounding communities continues to diminish as crews focus on deep mop-up, patrol, and suppression repair.

Evacuations and Closures

• Evacuation orders and warnings across Monterey County continue to be downgraded or lifted as lines hold (September 10).
• All evacuation warnings across San Luis Obispo County have been lifted (September 9).
• Highway 1 remains closed from near Gorda north to Kirk Creek Campground (September 9).
• An evacuation shelter for displaced residents is open at Santa Rosa Catholic Church in Cambria (September 9).
• An emergency forest closure remains in effect for the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest, including the Silver Peak and Ventana wilderness areas (September 8).

Impact

Smoke from the wildfire continues to affect air quality across Central Coast communities, including Big Sur, Cambria, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo.

Conditions and Outlook

Temperatures will trend cooler over the coming days with rising humidity, light west-northwest winds, and little chance of precipitation. Fire activity is expected to remain minimal with creeping and smoldering confined well within containment lines. Firefighters plan to secure and patrol established lines, extinguish interior hotspots detected by aircraft, and expand suppression repair and road rehabilitation.

Cause and Context

The cause of the fire remains undetermined and under investigation by the U.S. Forest Service as of September 10. California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 is managing operations under a full suppression strategy.

Official updates current through September 10, 2026.