Firefighters continue to wage battle against Northern California blazes

Firefighters continued today to hem in fires plaguing Northern California, including a blaze that has destroyed 16 homes along the Big Sur coast.

U.S. Forest Service officials announced that residents along a 20-mile stretch of coast south of the town of Big Sur would be evacuated by 5 p.m. today as a precautionary measure to allow for controlled burns intended to solidify containment lines.

Those lines are being laid down in an effort to hem in the Basin Complex fire, which has proven to be the most destructive of the more than 1,400 lightning-sparked fires that have wracked the northern part of the state since June 21, burning 425,000 acres. Of the 29 homes burned in the blazes, most have been on the Big Sur coast.

In Southern California, a small brush fire was burning in Santa Clarita, and officials said several homes are threatened. The fire was burning around Highway 14 and Brooken Avenue.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this morning ordered the California National Guard to deploy ground forces to help aid in the battle against the blazes.

About 200 guardsmen will be deployed to help with hand crews, a move that Schwarzenegger described as a “big shot in the arm” to the professional fire teams that have been battling blazes on and off for the last six weeks.

In Big Sur, fog continued to help firefighters in their efforts to control the Basin Complex fire, which has charred about 40,000 acres, mostly in Los Padres National Forest. Winds from the north continued to push the blaze back on itself, helping slow its march toward the region’s most populated areas.

But those same winds could turn problematic later today. The breezes are expected to pick up shortly before nightfall, with gusts ranging to more than 20 mph, potentially whipping up the blaze anew.

In other parts of Northern California, more than 100 of the fires ignited by the lightning barrage 10 days ago continued to burn, though authorities said they were getting the upper hand.

State firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have contained scores of fires, and made good progress on many others, said spokesman Daniel Berlant.

“We got through this last weekend without more problems from lightning, and the injury count and destruction remains extremely low given the number of fires and acres burned,” he said.

Nearly 19,000 firefighters have been deployed from California and 41 other states that have sent crews to help. More than 1,400 fire engines, 340 bulldozers and scores of aircraft have been used to battle the blazes.

One result has been mounting costs. The tab for fighting the Big Sur blazes alone likely will soon top $50 million.

While the Basin Complex fire remains less than 5% contained, an even bigger blaze burning to the east in Los Padres National Forest in expected to be fully controlled by Thursday, fire officials said.

 eric.bailey@latimes.com