The Colorado Fire burns along Highway 1 near Big Sur, Saturday, Jan. 22. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
BIG SUR (AP) – Firefighters Saturday, Jan. 22, were battling a wildfire that broke out in the rugged mountains along Big Sur, forcing hundreds of residents on this precarious stretch of the California coast to evacuate and authorities to shut its main roadway.The fire started Friday, Jan. 21, in a steep canyon and quickly spread toward the sea, fanned by strong winds up to 50 mph (80 kph). The blaze burned at least 2.3 square miles (6 square kilometers) of brush and redwood trees, Cecile Juliette, a representative for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said.“The fire lined up with the wind and the terrain and that gave the fire a lot of energy to make a big run,” she said Saturday.Authorities made contact with about 500 residents, urging them to ev
