By Sri Ravipati
(SAN FRANCISCO) Smoke from the Willow Fire in Monterey County is expected to reach the Bay Area this week.
Southern winds are expected to push "the smoke plume" from the wildfire northward towards the Bay Area, the National Weather Service Bay Area said in a tweet.
The NWS Bay Area added the "smoke is elevated, not near the surface."
However, most of the Bay Area registered “good” air quality on Monday morning, with parts of the coast and central Bay Area approaching "moderate" air quality.
Monterey County fire crews began battling the Willow Fire burning in the Los Padres National Forest on Friday. The brush fire has grown to 2,392 acres or about 3.2 square miles located about seven miles west of the Arroyo Seco Campground at the national forest, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued immediate evacuation orders for Tassajara Road northwest to China Camp Campground, Arroyo Seco Campground, Rocky Creek Road and Camp Cawatre.
Fire officials said the blaze grew in intensity due to afternoon winds and dry vegetation and was 0% contained on Monday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation as of Monday afternoon.