Evacuations have been ordered along California’s Big Sur coast as the Timber Fire grows in the rugged mountains of Monterey County.

The fire expanded to about 2,000 acres by Tuesday, with nearly 500 firefighters working to contain the blaze.

Several popular tourist destinations, state parks and part of the Pacific Coast Highway have been closed, while officials urged visitors to avoid the area.

The fire threatens 259 buildings, and firefighters have contained about 5% of the blaze while working to protect homes and prevent it from crossing Highway 1, The Guardian has reported.

The wildfire is part of a broader surge of destructive fires across the western U.S., with several states and parts of Canada facing major evacuations and record amounts of land burned.