Wildfire in Big Sur leads to evacuations

A wildfire burning in the Big Sur area has led to some evacuations and damaged at least one structure.

State fire spokesman Jonathan Pangburn said Monday morning he was still working on determining how many people were evacuated and how many homes were threatened. The fire began around midnight in the Pfeiffer Ridge area of the Los Padres National Forest near Highway 1 and had grown to as much as 500 acres by the morning, as it burned through dry vegetation.

Pangburn says it is moving toward the ocean, but there are residences scattered along its path.

Scores of firefighters were called in to battle the blaze. Pangburn says officials expect to bring in air resources as well.

Big Sur is a popular tourist destination along the Central California coast known for its views of the Pacific.