The famed Esalen Institute is being evacuated as Big Sur's Timber Fire expands to 1,700 acres

• Timber Fire led to the evacuation of California's Esalen Institute.
• Esalen has strong ties to Silicon Valley and tech founders.
• The fire had expanded to over 1,700 acres and was 5% contained as of Monday evening.

The Esalen Institute is being evacuated as the rapidly growing Timber Fire threatens the region.

Dave Morin, chairman of the famed retreat center perched along California's Big Sur coastline, said Monday that the retreat was evacuating and would remain closed for the time being.

"Pray for Big Sur and the Timber Fire. It appears to be doubling every 6 hours. We are evacuating @esalen and are closed until the fire is contained," Morin wrote on X.

The Timber Fire, which started on Sunday, had expanded to over 1,700 acres and was just 5% contained as of Monday evening, according to California fire officials.

The blaze is burning through steep, rugged terrain in the Los Padres National Forest, and has disrupted other destinations along the famously scenic stretch of California's Highway 1.

Evacuation warnings, issued by the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, extended to within 3 miles of the Esalen Institute.

No injuries have yet been reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Founded in 1962, Esalen has long had ties to Silicon Valley — it was founded by two Stanford graduates and has become a hub for tech elites interested in applying its ideas about human potential to business and leadership.

The institute's chairman, Morin, is a former Meta and Apple executive and prominent venture capitalist who co-founded Path, Slow Ventures, and Offline Ventures.

Morin's tweet sparked a wave of reactions from tech executives and founders, who said they were saddened to hear about the fire and the evacuation.

"Ugh - hoping for a quick containment and good outcome; Esalen and the Big Sur coast are the absolute best of California," David Bill, an early-stage VC, wrote in a reply on X.

Workshops at the institute can last from two days to a few weeks, and cover subjects such as self-improvement, yoga, psychedelics, and sustainability.

For instance, the institute's "Live Extended Education Program" costs $1,600 for a two-week program and $2,900 for a four-week program. Tuition includes workshops, housing, meals, and full access to the property's facilities.