Big Sur wildfire causes evacuations as Harris visits state to tout federal plan

The Colorado fire grew to more than 2.3 sq miles while, earlier in the day, the vice-president outlined a response to reduce risk

As Vice-President Kamala Harris visited California to highlight new funding for fighting wildfires, hundreds of residents in the Big Sur area in the north of the state were told to evacuate due to a new blaze as authorities were forced to shut its main roadway.

Harris visited on Friday. On Saturday, firefighters were battling the blaze that broke out in rugged mountains along Big Sur on Friday night in a steep canyon and quickly spread toward the sea, fanned by strong winds up to 50mph.