A dangerous wildfire near Big Sur, California, prompted authorities to evacuate the town on Wednesday. A previous, more limited evacuation order was expanded to include all of Big Sur—closing businesses and shuttering houses from Andrew Molera State Park to Limekiln State Park along Pacific Highway 1.

Anyone who has ever driven through Big Sur, or stopped to hike its trails, knows that it's a national treasure. I've been three times in the past few years, and I'm still not done with the incredible sunsets at Nepenthe restaurant, the cool redwood-shaded hikes of its parks, or the routinely breathtaking views as you round corner after corner on the drive to and from San Francisco.

We covered lodging in the town—and its environs—in our recent magazine cover story Big Sur: Into the Redwoods. Also check out our road trip up Pacific Highway 1, from 2006. Here's hoping incomparable Big Sur is back, and soon.