Madre Fire surges to 35,000 acres becoming California’s largest wildfire this year

A rapidly spreading wildfire successful Southern California rapidly became the state’s largest occurrence of the twelvemonth aft igniting connected Wednesday, starring to evacuations.

The Madre Fire sparked connected Wednesday astir 1 p.m. on Highway 166 successful New Cuyama successful San Luis Obispo County. Hours aft starting, the occurrence had consumed 9,000 acres. By Thursday morning, the occurrence had surged to much than 35,500 acres arsenic firefighters connected the crushed and successful the aerial effort to suppress the blaze.

Smoke from the Madre Fire successful San Luis Obispo County, California connected July 2, 2025. 

(CAL FIRE / FOX Weather)

Evacuation orders are successful spot for aggregate zones successful San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties adjacent Highway 166. The road remains closed for firefighting efforts, according to San Luis Obispo County Government officials.

EXPLOSION AT CALIFORNIA FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE SPARKS WILDFIRE, TRIGGERS EVACUATIONS

On Tuesday night, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation informing eastbound of the Rock Front Area, westbound of Cottonwood Canyon Road and southbound of Highway 166.

"Residents should prepare to permission astatine a moment's notice," the sheriff's bureau said. 

Fire behaviour is being driven by hot, adust and windy conditions. Forecasters with the National Weather Service successful Los Angeles said breezy conditions volition proceed connected Thursday, and northerly Sundowner winds are apt to instrumentality Friday nighttime and into the weekend. Gusts betwixt 25 and 45 mph are likely, with localized gusts of up to 50 mph. 

Smoke from the Madre Fire is creating a importantly smoky entity for the Cuyama Valley and is forecast to drift implicit Santa Barbara and occidental portions of Ventura County. Smoke could beryllium disposable implicit parts of Los Angeles County connected Thursday.