MONTEREY COUNTY — Favorable weather conditions have allowed firefighters to gain ground again on the Dolan Fire. Los Padres National Forest officials Friday morning reported the wildfire has burned 113,486 acres and was 26 percent contained.
The more than three-week old fire tripled in size earlier this week as high temperatures and winds pushed the fire south into Fort Hunter Liggett. Full containment is expected to be on Sept. 28.
Marine layer and shading from area smoke is expected to continue to play a role in reducing fire behavior, officials said.
Highway 1 is closed between milepost 25 and milepost 10. Nacimiento-Ferguson Road is closed to all traffic from Highway 1 to the Fort Hunter Liggett base boundary line.
Fourteen structures have been destroyed by the fire. Nearly nine hundred firefighters are working the Dolan Fire.
In Fresno and Madera counties, firefighters also benefited from favorable weather conditions and for the first time reported containment on Friday.
The fire’s growth has slowed considerably. It has burned 175,893 acres and was at 6 percent containment, according to Cal Fire.
A thick blanket of smoke overhead prevented aircraft operations on Thursday, but the sooty conditions created an inversion layer that led to cooler temperatures and calmer winds and ultimately a less active blaze.
The Creek Fire started near Big Creek above Shaver Lake on Sept. 4, and exploded in size over the Labor Day weekend amid high winds.
Nearly 1,650 firefighters are assigned to the Creek Fire. The fire has destroyed 369 structures and led to the evacuation of 45,000 people in Fresno and Madera counties.
