A wildfire in central California has increased in scope and has become the largest wildfire in the state this year, surpassing the devastating blazes that ravaged the Los Angeles metropolitan region earlier this year.
The Madre Fire, which has spread in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, has grown to 70,800 acres and 10 percent of it has been contained, according to CalFire, California’s firefighting agency.
The cause of the wildfire, which started spreading on Wednesday, is under investigation. The blaze began near State Route 166, which brings together the Central Coast to the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Officials have cautioned that smoke impacts from the wildfire will be “far-reaching.”
Over 600 personnel have been assigned to contain the wildfire, including “numerous” firefighting air tankers, according to CalFire.
“As we approach the holiday weekend, the Madre Fire, the largest of 2025, is a stark reminder of potential dangers. With increased visitor use and hot, dry weather, we remind the public to exercise caution around any sources that can create sparks,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement ahead of the Fourth of July.
The U.S. Northern Command said earlier this week that around 150 National Guard troops, who were deployed amid the immigration raid protests in Los Angeles, were now directed to fight wildfires.
The large Palisades and Eaton blaze earlier this year killed 30 people and burned over 37,000 acres. The wildfires forced more than 200,000 residents in the Los Angeles area to evacuate and obliterated north of 12,000 structures.
The National Weather Service Los Angeles said on Wednesday that some of the smoke plume was spreading southwest to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
