A wildfire in California’s San Luis Obispo County rapidly expanded overnight and was covering more than 35,000 acres on Thursday morning, prompting evacuation orders, closing part of a highway and sending thick smoke billowing into neighboring counties. It is the biggest wildfire the state has seen this year.
The blaze, called the Madre Fire, started on Wednesday afternoon and is burning in a remote area in the mountains between the Central Coast and the Central Valley, in the Los Padres National Forest. It is near State Route 166, which connects the Central Coast to the southern San Joaquin Valley. A section of the highway has been closed, California’s Department of Transportation said.
About 190 residents were under evacuation orders early Thursday, according to a New York Times analysis of the evacuation zones and LandScan population data.
California is bracing for an especially brutal summer of wildfires as it still recovers from the devastating blazes in Los Angeles in January. Forecasters are predicting exceptional heat, which could bring more large wildfires than usual. Federal agencies that assist with firefighting, prevention and recovery have also faced funding cuts this year.
Smoke from the blaze on Wednesday night was spreading over Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, the National Weather Service said. Santa Barbara County issued an air-quality watch because of the smoke.
Videos posted on social media by the U.S. Forest Service show glowing red flames above the mountains and the sky thick with smoke. Significant resources were deployed to the fire, including aircraft and bulldozers, the agency said.
Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news.
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