California wildfire near Big Sur caused by hot embers from pile burning operation, CalFire says

The 700-acre wildfire along California's picturesque Big Sur coastline was sparked by hot embers from a "pile burning operation," authorities said Tuesday evening.

The blaze, named the Colorado Fire for its origin in the Palo Colorado Canyon, sped to the state's coastline on Friday night, pushed by wind gusts of up to 50 mph. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, said high winds blew the embers onto nearby vegetation, which then sparked the fire. Five hundred residents were ordered to evacuate.

The order remained in effect as of Tuesday evening, and Highway 1 from Palo Colorado Road to the Bixby Creek Bridge was closed in both directions with no reopening date.

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"Currently, that stretch of roadway contains many potential hazards, including fire, falling rock, and heavy emergency services vehicles," Monterey County said. "Safety is our number one priority. An increase in traffic on the roadway could create additional hazards."

Only one structure has been damaged in the fire, according to CalFire, The blaze was 45% contained as of late Tuesday.

The Monterey County Health Department on Sunday warned residents in the area to boil their water because of possible damage to system infrastructure.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California Big Sur wildfire near Big Sur sparked by burning operation