A massive wildfire - a rare event for January - has already forced many people out of their home and shut down California's Highway 1, spreading 1,500 acres. Only 5 percent has been contained.
Highway 1 has been closed in both directions, from Andrew Molera/Coast Road to Granite Canyon Bridge.
Horrifying videos continue to emerge online, showing, for example, the Rocky Creek Bridge being engulfed by the flames.
The fire has spread to Palo Colorado Canyon, Big Sur and south of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
The National Weather Service for San Francisco's Bay Area issued a wind advisory for the region and in Monterey County, the authorities ordered evacuations. The American Red Cross opened a shelter late Friday for residents who were forced to evacuate.
The fire was first reported at about 7:30pm local time. There have been no immediate reports of any casualties resulting from the wildfire.
The so-called Colorado Fire ravaged Boulder County earlier in January, with US President Joe Biden declaring it a national disaster and ordering federal help to tackle its aftermath. The fire stretched 24 square kilometres and is the most catastrophic in the known history of Colorado.