Pushed by fast winds, a fire burned more than 3,000 acres within two hours Wednesday afternoon along the border between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
The Madre Fire, now California’s largest wildfire, burned 3,300 acres near State Route 166 in the two counties, Los Padres National Forest spokesperson Andrew Madsen told The Center Square. He confirmed that was the acreage despite contradictory reports by other media.
The cause of the fire, which started around 1 p.m. near State Route 166, is unknown, said Madsen, who’s based in Solvang in northern Santa Barbara County. He said multiple agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, are responding to the fire, which is burning both in Los Padres National Forest and on Bureau of Land Management land.
Madsen said air tankers pre-positioned at a base in Santa Maria in northern Santa Barbara County were being used.
The area of the county around the fire contains New Cuyama, a town of more than 500 people.
A photo from University of California at San Diego and Alert California showed a massive plume rising above the fire.
“It’s very windy. Prevailing winds are moving toward the east,” Madsen said.
He added the fire is burning on grassland and dry brush.
As for blazes farther south in the state, the Wolf Fire in Riverside County has burned 2,414 acres and is 40% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
On its website Wednesday morning, Cal Fire said the total number of acres burned had not gone up since Tuesday.
On the fire’s fourth day, evacuation orders remained in effect for more than a dozen areas. Evacuation warnings have been issued for nearly two dozen areas. An evacuation shelter is at Hemet High School, 41701 E. Stetson Ave., Hemet, and there’s an animal evacuation shelter sat 581 S. Grand Ave., San Jacinto.
A total of 1,098 personnel responded to the fire. One hundred engines were used.
“Last night fire crews continued working in steep terrain through the night bolstering containment lines around the fire,” Cal Fire said Wednesday. “Today, with the anticipated temperatures a few degrees cooler and slightly higher relative humidity, crews will continue mopping up and patrolling the fire line seeking out hot spots.”
The Wolf Fire started just after 3 p.m. Sunday at Old Banning Idyllwild Road and Wolfskill Truck Trail.
No structures were reported to have been destroyed or damaged. There have been three injuries to firefighters.
Another blaze in Riverside County, the Juniper Fire, has burned 755 acres since it began Monday, but is now 95% contained, Cal Fire said. The department added firefighters were patrolling the area Wednesday to reach full containment.
The causes of the fires are under investigation.
