Marble Cone Fire 1977

Fighting the marble cone fire in big sur on aug.

Marble cone fire 1977.

The wildfire burned approximately 178 000 acres of the ventana wilderness area in the san lucia mountains. The marble cone fire was a wildland fire which burned for three weeks in august 1977 in the santa lucia mountains high country at the big sur area of monterey county california by the time it was extinguished it had burned about 178 000 acres 720 km 2 in the santa lucia mountains known as the ventana wilderness making it the largest wildfire in recorded california history at that time. The los padres national forest has some of the most dangerous terrain in the world. The marble cone fire was a wildland fire which burned for three weeks in august 1977 in the big sur high country.

The fire burned from cone peak to carmel valley and consumed most of the vegetation within the entire big sur and little sur river watersheds. This was the first of four major fires in this area fig. The marble cone fire began in on august 1 1977 and lasted three weeks. By the associated press it burned across 175 000 acres of prime watershed lands near the central california coast and laid waste to millions of dollars worth of timber but the 18 day old marble cone fire is finally under control.

In 18th day marble cone line complete. At the time the fire was california s largest wildfire to date. The fire destroyed 178 000 acres but thankfully there were no lives lost or structures destroyed. By the time it was extinguished it had burned about 178 000 acres in the santa lucia mountains known as the ventana wilderness making it the largest wildfire in recorded california history at that time.