Big Sur Land Trust

It was the highest house on a winding road high above the Big Sur coastline, a simple place with drop-dead views and a spot in local history. Three decades ago, a few neighbors met there to organize an effort to keep Big Sur small and arty and largely undeveloped. Now, the hand-built redwood structure is little more than rubble, a victim of the stubborn and unpredictable blazes battering Big Sur.