Soberanes Fire
| Soberanes Fire | |
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Smoke from Soberanes wildfire, from California State Route 1, Carmel, California, 23 July 2016.
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| Location | Soberanes Creek, Garrapata State Park, Monterey County, California |
| Coordinates | 36°27′36″N 121°53′58″W / 36.45994°N 121.89938°WCoordinates: 36°27′36″N 121°53′58″W / 36.45994°N 121.89938°W |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $236 million (As of 5 October 2016[update]) |
| Date(s) | July 22, 2016 – October 12, 2016 (82 days) |
| Burned area | 132,127 acres (53,470 ha) |
| Cause | Illegal campfire |
| Land use | Residential; open space |
| Buildings destroyed |
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| Fatalities | 1 bulldozer operator |
| Perpetrator(s) | Unknown |
| Map | |
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The Soberanes Fire was as of 2016[update] the most expensive wildfire in United States history. It was the result of an illegal campfire in Garrapata State Park and cost about $236 million to suppress. The fire burned 132,127 acres (53,470 ha) along the Big Sur coast in the Los Padres National Forest, Ventana Wilderness, and adjacent private and public land in Monterey County, California. At the fire's peak, over 5000 personnel were assigned to the blaze. The Soberanes fire is the 18th of the top 20 largest California wildfires in terms of acres burned.
The fire was first reported by hikers at 8:48 a.m. on Friday 22 July 2016, and was later determined to be the result of an illegal campfire. By Saturday morning, the fire had grown to 2,000 acres (810 ha) and forced the evacuation of the community of Palo Colorado.
By the morning of Sunday 24 July, the fire had grown to over 10,000 acres (4,000 ha), with 5% of the perimeter contained. Officials said that Toro Park would be closed so that firefighters could use the area as a base camp. Evacuation warnings were also issued for all of Carmel Highlands.
On Tuesday 26 July, acting California governor Tom Torlakson declared a state of emergency in Monterey County over the fire.
By Saturday 30 July, the fire had spread to the Los Padres National Forest.
By August 26, the fire had grown to over 90,000 acres (36,000 ha) and was 60% contained. The majority of the fire by then was within the Los Padres National Forest, and unified command of the fire suppression work was transferred from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to the United States Forest Service's Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team.
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