(Reuters) – A fire erupted on 1,500 acres near Big Sur in California, prompting evacuations. Officials from the state and local governments announced Saturday that the highway was closed.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Colorado Fire was active from Friday and is now 5% contained.

The fire in Monterey County is burning to the death of approximately 430,000 people. The exact number of people who lived within the evacuation zone was not known at this time.

County officials announced that the American Red Cross has opened a shelter in a local elementary school on Friday evening.

California has had an active wildfire seasons for many years. However, climate change has made it more difficult.

Cal Fire reported that the wildfire season began unusually early last year due to a drought and low reservoir levels. According to the office, 297 fires took place on 1171 acres in January 2021.

Cal Fire has so far only listed the Colorado Fire on its incident list for 2022.

California’s Santa Ana winds are also a problem this year. According to the National Weather Service, a high wind advisory was issued for the region, with gusts up to 70 miles (1112.65 km/h) according to National Weather Service.