Remote Surveillance Trailer in Carmel, CA

An evacuation order is a lawful order to leave immediately. An evacuation warning indicates a potential threat to life/property. Prepare to leave. If you need extra time to evacuate, consider doing so now.

A shelter-in-place order means you should stay put and not try to leave. Ahead of a shelter-in-place order, residents should be prepared to sustain themselves for at least seven days. If that's not possible, it's recommended to leave before the shelter-in-place order goes into effect.

For the latest local information on the incident, including evacuations and shelter locations, visit the Monterey County Emergency Information page.

Highway 1 continues to be closed (as of Aug. 30) at two locations on the north and south of these fires.

From Monterey County:

Timber Fire: There is a hard closure of Highway 1 between MM56 and MM45.

Plaskett Fire: There is a hard closure of Highway 1 between MM16 and MM10.2.

Open to local traffic only: Highway 1 between MM45 and MM16.

Caltrans will evaluate and clear any potential hazards before reopening the highway. The U.S. Forest Service has begun critical backburning operations near Highway 1 and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

Visit Cal Fire Timber Fire incident page for the latest from Cal Fire on resources and acreage.

A temporary emergency evacuation shelter is at Carmel Mission Inn Conference Room, 3665 Rio Rd, Carmel, CA 93923 (updated Aug. 28).

A "virtual temporary evacuation point" (TEP) will be operating out of the Carmel Valley Branch Library from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. The TEP can offer the latest information on evacuations and guide residents to resources. Call the TEP at 831-647-7760 or 800-322-6884 and press 1, then 4, to reach the library.

Call SPCA Monterey County for help with large animals or other pets during evacuation: 831-373-2631 during the day or 831-646-5534 after hours for emergency assistance. Click the link above for more information.

Air quality information:

Traffic information from Caltrans

The designs for 22 inclusionary single-family homes got the green light on July 8 from the Monterey County Planning Commission in a 10-0 vote, 16 years after the homes were approved by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors as a condition of approval for a 73-unit, market-rate luxury home development in Carmel Valley. Previously known as September Ranch, the project has since been renamed ONE Carmel.

Of the 22 in the neighborhood dubbed “ONE Grove,” 15 will be for moderate-income households and seven will be considered workforce/affordable housing. Eligible moderate-income buyers can earn up to 120 percent of the area median income at the time of sale, the workforce housing will be for those earning up to 150 percent of AMI.

Meanwhile, the nearby future luxury homes for “high-net-worth buyers” start at $15 million. “Trophy compounds” start at $25 million. Homesites are available starting at $6 million. Lots range from 2.5 to 12 acres.

Design approval by the Planning Commission put the inclusionary units another step closer to actual construction, bringing much-needed affordable housing to Carmel Valley.

The County only recently gained “statutory compliance” of its housing element from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the years 2023-2031 and has yet to have a fully certified element more than two years after it was due. The County must plan for a total of more than 3,300 units from very low- to above moderate-income by 2031. The ONE Grove homes fall into the moderate-income category, of which the County has only realized 12 units out of 420, according to the state.

“I move approval of inclusionary housing because I’m thrilled to have it,” said Commissioner Martha Diehl before the vote. “My comment would be how soon can we have it because I would really like to see it happen after all these years.”

How quickly those units come online depends on how fast sales and permitting of the luxury units take place. Each individually designed luxury home will be reviewed and approved by the County’s Housing and Community Development Department.

Housing Program Manager Darby Marshall told commissioners that the development agreement requires that half of all the inclusionary housing building permits must be issued prior to the 12th market-rate building permit being issued. The remaining 11 units must be constructed prior to the 41-st market-rate permit issued.

The farmhouse-inspired inclusionary homes will each come with a covered carport. The development also includes two small parks for younger and older children.

Both ONE Carmel and ONE Grove sit on 891 acres, 90 percent of which will remain permanently protected. The developers are promising a “reimagining” of September Ranch’s public equestrian center. The iconic red barn has been preserved and will be used for equestrian events, art exhibitions, performances and other events.

July 28, 2026—Behind the kitchen pass, chef Matthew Zimny places the finishing touches on each plate before sliding them across the pass to his wife, Michelle, and sister, Heather.

From there those two hustle the dishes to guests as Gather’s preview tasting unfolds on a sunny Sunday afternoon filled with conversation, laughter and anticipation.

The quiet choreography offers an early glimpse of the driving force behind Gather, opening Aug. 6 in the former Roux on Pilot Road in Carmel Valley.

Zimny leads the kitchen, Heather manages the front of house and Michelle helps oversee the restaurant’s operations.

“We’re basically a family restaurant,” Zimny says. “We want people to feel welcome, to gather, to come together. Carmel Valley has great French and Italian restaurants, but we wanted to create something that reflects our own personalities and backgrounds.”

Gather heralds Zimny’s first restaurant after years cooking in Monterey County kitchens, including Mission Bistro, Casanova, Affina and Corkscrew Cafe.

His journey to Carmel Valley began years earlier in Alaska, where Zimny and Michelle met while working in hospitality. Encouraged by a close friend to visit Monterey County, the couple discovered a community that eventually became home.

“For Matt, opening a restaurant was always part of the California plan,” Michelle says.

Rather than hiring an outside designer, Zimny shaped the restaurant’s interior himself, selecting the lighting, artwork and furnishings.

Midcentury-inspired décor comes paired with vintage Polish and Japanese posters from the 1960s and 70s, reflecting both his and Michelle’s respective cultural backgrounds and helping create a space intended to feel approachable and lived in.

Those influences extend into the kitchen.

Rooted in the Polish family recipes of his childhood, Zimny’s cooking blends comforting Eastern European flavors with Japanese ingredients inspired by Michelle’s heritage and the couple’s travels.

House-made pierogi will occupy the menu with other elements such as miso, mushrooms and wagyu, while seasonal produce from Monterey County will ground the restaurant in the region.

His appreciation for mushrooms began while foraging with his grandmother. Trips to Japan deepened his understanding of umami and other taste profiles from the country, ideas that will appear throughout Gather’s evolving menu.

Michelle’s mother, Taeko Sutton, has a enjoyed a chef’s table seat watching Zimny’s cooking evolve over the years—particularly the Japanese cuisine she’s been making her whole life—and she was there for the sneak peek at Gather last weekend.

For Taeko, Zimby’s ability to prepare Japanese-inspired dishes has become one of the clearest expressions of his talent. Over time, she’s learned to trust his instincts in recreating the qualities and techniques.

“I don’t have to say anything anymore,” she says. “He’s always had that kind of talent.”

Tasting highlights from the limited preview menu ranged from Royal Miyagi oysters—their briny sweetness complemented by bright lemon, fresh dill and finely minced cucumber—to a potato-cheese pierogi with white cheddar, black truffle and crème fraîche.

White sturgeon caviar atop potato placki, meanwhile, again married Polish roots with Japanese restraint. A strawberry sorbet, complemented a soft pistachio sponge and crunchy matcha meringue cookie, also provided intuitive layers of flavor.

Local ingredients like Carmel Valley Creamery cheese, Ad Astra bread and seasonal heirloom tomatoes will figure into the larger menu to come.

The wine list also emphasizes Monterey County producers selected to complement Zimny’s dishes.

Moving through Gather’s various spaces—the tree-shaded patio, the warm wooden dining room and open kitchen framed by a glass-enclosed wine display—guests sampled Joyce Winery’s Carmel Coast Pinot Noir and Grenache Blanc.

For Zimny, food and drink represent one part of hospitality.

He’s vigilant that every detail of a guest’s dining experience resonates, from the warm welcome and wood-accented dining room to pacing that flows smoothly through the final course.

“Everything in this space was either thought of by Matt, created by Matt, built by Matt or approved by Matt,” Michelle says. “The only thing I can take credit for is the bathroom wallpaper, which he put up! Gather is 1,000% a reflection of Matt.”

CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. —

Residents in Carmel Valley are being urged to stay prepared as the Timber Fire continues to spread, though officials say there is no immediate threat to the area.

Cachagua Fire reported that the fire is approximately seven and a half miles away, but crews are actively working to fortify burn lines around the valley. They are using scars from previous fires, such as the Dolan Fire, Sabrina’s Fire, and the Basin Fire, as fuel breaks to help contain the blaze.

"We're using the past, previous fires, the Dolan fire, the Sabrina's fire in the basin fire," said Kathryn Carr, a CAL FIRE official.

Crews are focusing on previously established containment lines due to the rugged terrain, which presents significant challenges.

"Because of how rugged the terrain is, they're focusing on previously established containment lines that they've had, you know, great success with," said Yancey Cabrera, chief for Chachagua Fire Department

CAL FIRE emphasized the difficulty of accessing the area and the extensive resources being deployed to slow the fire’s spread.

"We are using a lot of resources. We're using aviation when the weather allows, we have crews, we have more crews on order to slow the spread of fire," Carr said.

In addition to efforts on the fire line, fire agencies are working to keep nearby communities informed. Information boards have been placed around Carmel Valley and Big Sur to update residents as conditions evolve.

"The fires clearly can be expected to reach us at some point. So with that comes a degree of concern from the public. And so we just like to address that before any more panic arises around here, you know," Cabrera said.

Fire officials continue to stress that there is no immediate threat to Carmel Valley, but they urge residents to stay informed and be prepared in case the fire moves closer.

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