Highway 1 is open but traffic is heavier due to the presence of emergency vehicles, Madsen said. Evacuations of the area remained in effect as of 10:30 p.m. Monday.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
A wildfire so late in the year is unusual but not surprising given that California is in the midst of the driest calendar year on record.
A lightning-sparked wildfire in 2008 forced the evacuation of Big Sur and blackened 250 square miles (650 sq. kilometers) before it was contained.
That blaze burned more than a dozen homes.
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