A fire in rural San Luis Obispo County grew Friday night to nearly 80,000 acres and is California’s largest this year, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Madre fire started around 1 p.m. Wednesday, east of Santa Maria near the town of New Cayuma. More than 200 people were under mandatory evacuation orders, and roughly 50 structures were under threat Saturday morning. One building has burned. The cause of the fire, which has been fueled by heat and wind and is about 10% contained, is under investigation.
The bulk of the fire is threatening the Carrizo Plain National Monument, which is home to several endangered and threatened wildlife and plant species.
“This is a sparsely populated area,” Los Padres National Forest spokesperson Andrew Madsen said. “As long as we keep the fire north of Highway 166, we will keep it out of the residential spots.”
More than 600 firefighting personnel and nearly 50 fire engines are responding to the blaze. Multiple air tankers are also battling the fire as conditions allow. Los Padres National Forest, Cal Fire San Luis Obispo and the Bureau of Land Management share jurisdiction over the fire.
The Madre fire is more than triple the size of the Palisades fire, which burned 23,000 acres in coastal Los Angeles County nearly six months ago, killing 12 people and destroying nearly 7,000 structures. The Eaton fire in Altadena torched 14,000 acres and killed 18 people before it was extinguished.
A heat wave is expected in Southern California from Tuesday through Friday, raising new concerns over the risk of fire. The peak is expected midweek, with high temperatures between 98 and 108 degrees anticipated in the lower mountains, valleys and deserts.