The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports that the state’s largest wildfire of the year has spread to 70,800 acres in San Luis Obispo County and is currently a life-threatening situation.
Around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, the Madre fire broke out in a remote part of the county. According to Cal Fire spokesperson Toni Davis, the fire is 10% contained and has destroyed one building as of late Friday afternoon.
Although the source of the fire is still being investigated, hot, windy conditions throughout the Central Coast have contributed to its spread. According to Davis, the fire is threatening 50 structures and more than 200 individuals are under evacuation orders.
California
Several fires started this weekend in Riverside and San Bernardino counties despite the weather not being conducive to wildfire.
The Palisades fire, which burned 23,000 acres in coastal Los Angeles County in January and claimed 12 lives while damaging about 7,000 buildings, is more than three times as large as the Madre fire. Before it was put out, the catastrophic Eaton fire in Altadena burned 14,000 acres and claimed 18 lives.
Cal Fire reports that when conditions permit, firefighting air tankers from all around the state are conducting fire suppression operations. The fire is being responded to by 46 fire engines and about 600 workers.
The Madre fire is under the joint control of the Bureau of Land Management, Los Padres National Forest, and Cal Fire San Luis Obispo.
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