Big Sur, Calif. (KCBS) -- Along Highway 1 there aren’t many visible signs of the Big Sur fire which burned hundreds of thousands of acres nearly nine weeks ago, destroying all in it’s path.
Community leader Kirk Gafill says that the town and it’s people have managed to emerged out the ashes stronger than ever.
“Even after three weeks in the largest fire in over 100 years, we realize that we all came at out of it. Nobody was killed, there were no significant injuries to speak of, [and] while 38 families did lose their homes, which was a terrible tragedy, … for the most part the larger community really was unscathed … other than going through the tremendous inconvenience of the fire period,” said Gafill.
While the smoke of the blaze has dissipated and the towns people have returned, residents are already preparing for the winter and local businessman David Dildine says mudslides can be a big problem.
“We always live in fear of mudslides around here, I mean we have exceptional rain ... we have problems, and that’s normal. … Now with the hillsides and the loss of vegetation that just magnifies that.”
The Basin Complex Wildfire, which began June 21, burned some 230 square miles, or approximately 143,000 acres.
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KCBS' Mike Colgan reports
