According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire, California’s largest wildfires have grown to 70,800 acres this year and pose a direct threat to life.
The Madre fire broke out in a rural area of the county around 1 p.m. Wednesday. California fire spokesman Toni Davis said Friday afternoon that the fire destroyed a structure, accounting for 10%.
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The hot wind conditions on the Central Coast have fueled the spread of the fire, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Davis said more than 200 people were under evacuation orders and 50 structures were threatened by flames.
A helicopter dripped on the Madre fire while burning along Highway 166 in San Luis Obispo County on Thursday.
(Noah Berger/AP)
The Madre Fire, three times the size of the Palisades fire, burned 23,000 acres in Los Angeles coastal county in January, killing 12 people and destroying nearly 7,000 buildings. Altadena's deadly Eaton Fire blew up 14,000 acres and killed 18 people before it was extinguished.
Cal Fire said fire-fighting air tanks from all over the state are driving fire-fighting missions because conditions allow. More than 600 people and 46 fire trucks are responding to the fire.
Los Padres National Forest, California Fire Department San Luis Obispo and the Land Administration's jurisdiction over the Madre fire.
