This article was last updated at 7:13 p.m. on July 6. For the latest updates on the Madre Fire, click here.
MADRE FIRE
- 80,480 acres
- 30% containment
- Highway 166 closed from Highway 101 to New Cuyama, and from Maricopa to the Kern County/San Luis Obispo County line
The Madre Fire burning off Highway 166 in San Luis Obispo County is now 30 percent contained. The fire grew on Sunday, with acreage reaching 80,480 by the evening, according to CAL FIRE.
The fire burning in the New Cuyama area is now the largest fire to burn in California so far this year.
Los Padres National Forest officials say 1,358 personnel are responding to the Madre Fire as of Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday afternoon, Caltrans District 6 announced the closure of Highway 166 from Maricopa to the Kern County/San Luis Obispo County line. The section of Highway 166 from Highway 101 to New Cuyama remains closed.
'Hopefully we dodged a bullet.' Residents in Cuyama area relieved after shift in Madre Fire
KSBY talked with Madre Fire Public Information Officer Hannah Schwalbe Sunday afternoon about the conditions crews are expecting heading into the week.
“We're definitely keeping our eye on the winds, and we are expecting a little bit of a heat increase and just kind of trying to prep for that as much as possible," Schwalbe said. "Especially Wednesday [and] Thursday in the valleys, it could get really hot. So, both for our crew’s safety and also for fire behavior, we just want to make sure everything is safe and looks good out there.”
CAL FIRE PIO Toni Davis says the steep terrain and winds fueled the fire once it sparked.
"The steep terrain, we have consistent winds, they are gusting of about 20 mph today on and off throughout the day, so steep terrain once again, that definitely plays a huge part,” says CAL FIRE PIO Toni Davis.
She says crews had been facing additional challenges following the start of the fire. “The type of vegetation, the terrain that you're looking at. You have drainages that have lower relative humidity, brush, light, flashy fuels such as annual grasses all in that, and when it's steep, those drainages go up like a candle, they heat both sides of the hill and it's gonna run up a hill rather quickly," Davis said. "Fire, when you have consistent winds, it’s gonna dry out that vegetation all day long. And then with the temperatures in the 90s there's really not much relief in certain portions of this fire.”
Evacuation warnings and orders
Evacuation orders are in effect for Zones LPF- 017, SLC 226, 240, 263, 264, 265, 298, 299, 300, 312, 313, 337 338, 339 and 358.
Evacuation warnings were in place for Zones KRN-245, 249, 259, 281-B, SLC-225, 239, 266, 301, 359, 365, 366, and 367, and an area in Santa Barbara County located east of the Rock Front area, west of Cotton Wood Canyon Road and South of Highway 166.
The areas are shown in red for orders and yellow for warnings on an interactive map here.
Fire officials say evacuations had been issued in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties and have since extended into Kern County,
Madre Fire prompts evacuations: Here's how to determine your Evacuation Zone
Multiple agencies have responded to help fight the fire, which broke out July 2, both from the air and on the ground.
Hundreds of personnel, including dozer operators and air tanker pilots, are currently assigned to the fire.
On Thursday, smoke was affecting air quality across the Central Coast.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
There have been no reports of any injuries or homes lost due to the fire.
