The Chimney Fire was a wildfire in the Santa Lucia Range, within San Luis Obispo County, California.

[1] The fire temporarily closed Hearst Castle to tourists and also forced the closure of Highway 1 along the scenic Big Sur coast for a time.

[1] The fire was first reported Saturday August 13 shortly after 4:00 p.m.[1] Evacuations were ordered in the area of Running Deer Ranch, located on the south side of Lake Nacimiento.

[5] At a briefing on Monday morning, August 15, officials warned that the area had not burned since the 1960s meaning there is a significant amount of dry, flammable brush that could cause dramatic fire behavior.

Tours were cancelled as park staff prepared to move some of the massive art and antiques collection if necessary.