A wildfire in a wilderness area of central California exploded in size as dry, hot weather on Thursday, July 3, raised the fire risk for large portions of the state ahead of the July Fourth holiday. The Madre Fire became California's largest blaze so far this year, ripping through grasslands after breaking out in southeastern San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday. It swiftly grew to more than 212 square kilometers. It was just 10% contained by Thursday evening.
Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for tiny communities near State Route 166 as flames moved through hilly terrain toward the Carrizo Plain National Monument, about 72 kilometers east of Santa Maria. The region, located about 200 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, contains vast grasslands that draw visitors in the spring to see its wildflowers. Part of Route 166 East was closed Thursday, and there was "no estimate for re-opening," the California Department of Transportation said on social media.
The fire was pushed by summer gusts that typically increase as the sun starts going down, said meteorologist Ryan Kittell with the National Weather Service. "The winds are pretty light during the day, but they do pick up pretty substantially in the afternoon and evening hours," Kittell said. He said gusts could reach 64 kph later in the day on Thursday, posing new challenges for firefighters working in 35°C heat.
Dozens of smaller wildfires were burning across the state. Southern California's Wolf Fire reached 55% containment on Thursday, after charring more than 9.5 square kilometers of dry brush since breaking out in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, on June 29.
Unrelated to the wildfires, a fire burned four homes in the Pacoima neighborhood before being brought under control on Thursday night. Fireworks were exploding when crews arrived at the scene, and a woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition, the Los Angeles Times reported.