BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) Good weather continued to help firefighters Thursday as they worked to suppress a forest fire in rugged and almost inaccessible California coastal mountains near a remote Buddhist monastery south of Big Sur.
Below-average temperatures and increased relative humidity significantly reduced the activity of the nearly 4.5-square-mile (11.6-square-kilometer) fire in Los Padres National Forest, but it still posed a threat to about 125 homes and other buildings, including the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Seven firefighting monks have been clearing brush and running a sprinkler system dubbed “Dharma rain,” which helps keep moisture around the buildings, said Sozan Miglioli, president of San Francisco Zen Center, which operates the monastery.
It looks as if the weather could improve further in July according to the latest Met Eireann monthly forecast. Temperatures are predicted to be above aver.
The National Weather Service said sirens alone are not an effective alert system and should be used in conjunction with local media and weather radio reports.