A wildfire blazing near Big Sur, Calif. has forced nearly 100 residents to flee from the immediate area.
15 homes have been destroyed by the fire, according to the Associated Press.
The flames continued burning through dry vegetation, stoked by heavy winds and a warm front on Monday. The fire was located in the Pfeiffer Ridge region of Los Padres National Forest close to state Highway 1 and was on its way toward the Pacific Ocean. No injuries have yet been reported. The flames have already scorched through almost 500 acres.
Los Padres National Forest spokesperson Andrew Madsen told the Associated Press that the home of Big Sur Fire Chief Martha Karstens was among the 15 residences that were destroyed.
"She left thinking that she was going to go protect other people's homes, and it turns out that her own home had been consumed," Madsen said.
Firefighters who were first sent to handle the blaze in Monterey County on Sunday evening reiterated their hopefulness for keeping the flames under control by the middle of the week.
"This is a completely wind-driven fire," Madsen told AP. "We're cautiously optimistic that we're going to pin this thing down within the next couple of days."
Displaced residents can stay in the overnight shelter set up by the Red Cross, Madsen added.
Photos from the scene depicted a hazy, grey sky covered in smoke, while small fires burned through brush and trees in wooded areas.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but winds from the shore and a warm patch have added to the embers.
"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 a fire in a while, so a lot of the vegetation is very dry."
