MONTEREY COUNTY (BCN) — The Coleman Fire burning in southern Monterey County is 41 percent contained as of this morning and road closures have been lifted.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that closure orders for Reliz Canyon Road, Pine Canyon Road and Hobson Avenue would be lifted.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire still covered 2,340 acres of the southeastern edge of the Los Padres National Forest, but had been 41 percent contained as of Wednesday morning.
Full containment is expected by Monday.
The fire broke out on Saturday afternoon and quickly grew to 3,000 acres and threatened about 120 homes. It grew as large as 3,500 acres the next day. Nearby residents were evacuated and closed roads in the area, according to the sheriff’s office.
The steep and remote terrain has made completely containing it challenging. But by Tuesday night, the fire had been mostly contained on the south and east side while it continued to burn in the wilderness areas,
according to the Forest Service.
More than 1,000 firefighters are still working on fully controlling the blaze. Firefighters with Alameda County Hayward and Fremont were dispatched to assist Forest Service and Cal Fire crews.