Firefighting monks line up to battle raging wildfire on Big Sur

A group of Buddhist monks traded in their robes for firefighting gear in an effort to protect their worship centre in Big Sur, California from a raging wildfire.

Seven monks from the Tassajara Zen Mountain Centre have taken to cleaning up brush and installing a sprinkler system - dubbed "Dharma rain" - to maintain a layer of moisture around their worship centre.

Sozan Miglioli, the president of San Francisco Zen Centre, which operates the monastery, told The Associated Press that the monks have been lucky so far in their efforts.