The Dolan Fire has now been burning for a month and has torn through wildlands at both Limekiln and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Parks on the Monterey Coast.
Officials said they are now receiving preliminary damage reports, though final assessments may be weeks away.
The Dolan Fire was caused by a suspected arsonist on Aug. 18 near Dolan Road and Highway 1 in the Los Padres National Forest and currently stands at 122,178 acres with 40% containment.
The blaze entered Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park during the fourth week in August. Crews there were able to save two staff residence buildings, one of them historic. Damage to the park’s trail system and its bridges is “substantial,” park officials said.
Officials say it will be some time before Julia Pfeiffer Burns will be able to be open, perhaps not for the rest of this year.
In Limekiln, the kiosk and campground infrastructure have all survived the fire. They should be able to open up pretty quickly, officials said.
With containment increasing on the Dolan Fire, Andrew Molera State Park and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve finally reopened this week. The Soberanes Canyon Trail in Garrapata State Park is also welcoming visitors.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park remains closed as a staging area for fire crews; Point Sur State Historic Park and John Little State Natural Reserve are also both closed.
