The Colorado Fire, which has been tearing its way through California's iconic Big Sur region, is now more than half contained.
And the cause of the fire, which has been recently revealed, was the result of a pile burning operation.
A pile burning operation is a type of prescribed burn where piles of "woody debris" created by forest thinning, are ignited, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
The one that caused the Colorado Fire occurred when embers from the pile burning weren’t fully extinguished. "High winds blew the embers onto nearby vegetation, which ignited the fire," CAL FIRE wrote in a press release on Tuesday.
According to an update from CAL FIRE Wednesday morning, the fire is now 55% contained, and has burned 700 acres, destroyed one structure, and threatens 225 others.
The fire started last Friday when PG&E cameras picked up on flames sparking that evening east of the Bixby Bridge, as previously reported by KCBS Radio.
As of Wednesday, evacuation orders are still in place for people living in areas West of 3800 Palo Colorado Rd. to Highway 1 and South to Bixby Creek.
Highway 1 is still closed from Garrapata Creek to Point Sur.
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