Wildfire near Big Sur covers 63 square miles, but some evacuations lifted

More than a week after it ignited, firefighters on Monday continued hacking away at an obstinate wildfire near Big Sur that grew to more than 63 square miles overnight as new fires continue to crop up around the dry state.

A privately contracted bulldozer operator out of Fresno County, Robert Reagan III, was killed last Tuesday after rolling his heavy equipment in a remote area on the fire’s southeastern edge, authorities said.

The Goose Fire was one of 306 new wildfires that started statewide last week, said Daniel Berlant, a Cal Fire spokesman.

Since the start of the year, 4,059 wildfires have burned 223,622 acres in California.