Jun 28, 2008 11:18 am US/Pacific
Bush Declares Disaster Due To NorCal Fires
BIG SUR (CBS 5 / AP) ―
Many of the rustic inns, restaurants and art galleries that dot the rugged Central Coast are nearly deserted this weekend at the height of the tourist season as a huge wildfire threatens Big Sur.
The blaze had charred nearly 42 square miles in the Los Padres National Forest and destroyed 16 homes in the Big Sur area, one week after it was started by a lightning storm that also ignited more than 1,000 wildfires from the Central Coast to the Oregon state line.
On Saturday, President Bush issued an emergency declaration for Northern California and ordered federal agencies to assist in firefighting efforts in Butte, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, and Trinity counties. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had made the request on Friday, saying that fires had burned more than 400 square miles.
Firefighters braced for the possibility of more lightning in Northern California during the weekend.
Areas hardest hit include Butte County, where 31 fires have burned 19 square miles and threatened 1,200 homes; Mendocino County, where 121 fires have burned 45 square miles and threatened 900 homes; and Shasta-Trinity counties, where about 160 fires have burned 58 square miles and threatened 230 homes.
South of Big Sur in the Los Padres National Forest, a wildfire that started three weeks ago had burned 92 square miles and destroyed 16 structures including two homes. It was 71 percent contained Saturday.
Some 11,000 firefighters from 41 states were battling the Northern California blazes.
"Our No. 1 priority is we want to stop any new, small fires," said Jason Kirchner, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service.
The fire threat has already led some communities to cancel plans for Fourth of July fireworks displays.
The blazes also have spread a smoky haze over much of the San Francisco Bay area and Central Valley, prompting air regulators to urge people to stay indoors. Air pollution readings in Northern California and the Central Valley were two to 10 times the federal standard for clean air, said Dimitri Stanich, spokesman for the California Air Resources Board.
At Big Sur, firefighters concentrated on protecting more than 500 homes and other buildings threatened by the blaze and let the wildfire rage virtually unchecked in remote mountain wildernesses. The fire was only about 3 percent contained.
A roughly 12-mile stretch of coastal Highway 1 was closed, shutting off access to several popular tourist spots.
Businesses have seen a steep drop in tourist traffic as thick smoke obscures the iconic coastal vistas and motorists choose alternate routes to destinations north and south.
The blaze struck at the peak of Big Sur's tourist season, dealing an economic blow to businesses that generate most of their annual income during the summer.
The fire forced the closure of Nepenthe Restaurant, along with its cafe and crafts shop, which typically draw about 1,000 visitors a day during the summer, according to general manager Kirk Gafill, whose grandparents started the business in 1947.
Gafill estimates the business was losing more than $30,000 a day in revenue because of the blaze, which reached Nepenthe's property and destroyed several homes on a nearby ridge. The cliff-side restaurant was set to reopen Friday night after officials moved the road closure area farther south.
"The impact is economically pretty devastating, but hopefully short in duration," said Gafill, who also heads the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce. "We were having the best year on record until June 21 when the fire started. We're hoping we can get our momentum back as soon as possible."
The fire was driving away tourists who normally flock to the region to camp, hike or drive the coastal highway that hugs the steep, winding mountains above the Pacific Ocean.
Despite the sagging economy, Big Sur had seen large numbers of tourists before the blaze, attracting California residents vacationing closer to home and European tourists taking advantage of a weak dollar, business owners said.
Dutch tourists Truus Dolstra and her family had planned to drive the Big Sur coast on their way from Monterey to Pismo Beach in their rented RV when they ran into the roadblock on Highway 1. They said they hadn't heard about the fire and didn't see the road closure signs along the way.
"We were driving and there was a sheriff who said, 'Stop,'" said Dolstra, who was traveling with her husband, teenage son and his friend. "It's a shame because it's so beautiful here."
The Esalen Institute, a retreat center known for its natural hot springs where guests can study meditation, yoga, massage and other subjects, announced it would close until at least until July 6 because of falling ash and poor air quality.
The Ventana Inn and Spa, and its Cielo restaurant, have been closed since managers were forced to evacuate guests and employees last Sunday morning as the wildfire approached. The upscale resort has not suffered fire damage, but it had to cancel three weddings planned through the weekend, said general manager Jonathan Farrington.
"It's had a significant impact" on business, Farrington said. "The (Big Sur) experience is certainly negatively impacted by the smoke and the conditions of the fire."
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
