Weather is on the side of firefighters battling patchwork of Big Sur blazes

Firefighters this morning remained far from containing the Big Sur fires but said they have been helped by weather that has kept the blazes from spreading at a significant rate.

“You know our lives are ruled by the weather and, thankfully, we are predicting very light winds and we have a thick marine layer,” said Tina Rose, spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

One of the few new trouble spots arose early this morning when a blaze that has burned for a week jumped a fire line south of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center monastery. Firefighters were able to contain the burn after it consumed 10 acres, Rose said.

The remote Zen enclave on Big Sur’s forested backside has been threatened by wildfires on three sides. Buddhist monks there have prepared to fight the fire, if necessary.

The fires threatening the retreat were among more than 1,200 blazes in the state from Nevada to the Pacific Ocean, strapping resources in Northern California.

Evacuation orders remain in effect in parts of Butte, Shasta and Trinity counties.

Triggered by fierce lightning storms last weekend, blazes have charred more than 193,000 acres and destroyed at least 20 homes – 16 of them just over the mountains along Big Sur’s legendary 70-mile coastline.

So far, no one has been killed.

The blazes prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday to ask that President Bush declare a state of emergency in the region. In a news conference, the governor suggested that fire-stricken counties consider banning Fourth of July fireworks.

Times staff writers Eric Bailey and Steve Chawkins contributed to this report.

 Garrett.therolf@latimes.com