logo
California sees largest wildfire this year as Madre fire spreads north of Los Angeles

California sees largest wildfire this year as Madre fire spreads north of Los Angeles

The Guardian03-07-2025
A fast-growing wildfire in central California has become the largest in the state this year, surpassing the size of January's wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles.
The Madre fire had exploded to more than 35,000 acres by Thursday morning, after breaking out in San Luis Obispo county on Wednesday afternoon.
Acres burned
US wildfires are measured in terms of acres. While the size of a wildfire doesn't necessarily correlate to its destructive impact, acreage provides a way to understand a fire's footprint and how quickly it has grown.
There are 2.47 acres in a hectare, and 640 acres in a square mile, but this can be hard to visualise. Here are some easy comparisons: one acre equates to roughly the size of an American football field. London's Heathrow airport is about 3,000 acres. Manhattan covers roughly 14,600 acres, while Chicago is roughly 150,000 acres, and Los Angeles is roughly 320,000 acres.
Megafire
A megafire is defined by the National Interagency Fire Center as a wildfire that has burned more than 100,000 acres (40,000 hectares).
Containment level
A wildfire's containment level indicates how much progress firefighters have made in controlling the fire. Containment is achieved by creating perimeters the fire can't move across. This is done through methods such as putting fire retardants on the ground, digging trenches, or removing brush and other flammable fuels.
Containment is measured in terms of the percentage of the fire that has been surrounded by these control lines. A wildfire with a low containment level, such as 0% or 5%, is essentially burning out of control. A fire with a high level of containment, such as 90%, isn't necessarily extinguished but rather has a large protective perimeter and a rate of growth that is under control.
Evacuation orders and warnings
Evacuation warnings and orders are issued by officials when a wildfire is causing imminent danger to people's life and property. According to the California office of emergency services, an evacuation warning means that it's a good idea to leave an area or get ready to leave soon. An evacuation order means that you should leave the area immediately.
Red flag warning
A red flag warning is a type of forecast issued by the National Weather Service that indicates when weather conditions are likely to spark or spread wildfires. These conditions typically include dryness, low humidity, high winds and heat.
Prescribed burn
A prescribed burn, or a controlled burn, is a fire that is intentionally set under carefully managed conditions in order to improve the health of a landscape. Prescribed burns are carried out by trained experts such as members of the US Forest Service and Indigenous fire practitioners. Prescribed burns help remove flammable vegetation and reduce the risk of larger, more catastrophic blazes, among other benefits.
Prescribed burning was once a common tool among Native American tribes who used 'good fire' to improve the land, but was limited for much of the last century by a US government approach based on fire suppression. In recent years, US land managers have returned to embracing the benefits of prescribed burns, and now conduct thousands across the country every year.
The blaze reportedly began in a mountainous area of the county, which lies about 200 miles north of Los Angeles, sending smoke into neighboring regions and prompting evacuation orders and highway closures. As of Thursday morning the fire was at 5% containment, according to the state's wildfire agency CalFire. The cause of the fire was not yet known.
The Madre fire is one about a dozen blazes burning across California. Western states are bracing for a potentially explosive summer wildfire season due to a dry winter, followed by warm spring and summer temperatures that have dried out vegetation. Farther north in Oregon, which has been dealing with record-breaking early season heat, officials warned that a large wildfire in June 'should come as a reminder to Oregonians to be ready'.
Firefighters and experts recently told the Guardian that the US federal firefighting force is worryingly underprepared for the summer due to a series of changes ushered in by the Trump administration, including cuts to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) – the agency that provides US weather monitoring – as well as staffing and budget cuts.
More details soon …
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wildfires rage across Bulgaria, destroying forests and homes
Wildfires rage across Bulgaria, destroying forests and homes

Reuters

time5 hours ago

  • Reuters

Wildfires rage across Bulgaria, destroying forests and homes

SOFIA, July 27 (Reuters) - Firefighters battled wildfires at nearly 100 locations across Bulgaria on Sunday, with houses burned and residents evacuated, local media reported. A fire at the foot of the Pirin mountain in southwestern Bulgaria was spreading across thousands of acres of forest, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported. Another fire in the town of Simitli destroyed several houses as it spread towards the Maleshevo Mountain. More than 200 firefighters sent to the area on Saturday were pulled out because high winds were putting their lives in danger, authorities said, adding they expected air support from other EU countries. In western Bulgaria, a fire which broke out on Saturday and quickly spread across the border into Serbia on Sunday along the Miloslavska mountain range, almost burned the village Rani Lug to the ground, Nova television reported. "It's a merciless tragedy," emergency volunteer Zvezdelin Vlaykov said as huge clouds of smoke rose over the hills. "In all my years of firefighting, I've never seen anything like it." Authorities said three villages had been evacuated and the fire had caused significant damage. In a statement, the Interior Ministry described Bulgaria's wildfire situation as "dynamic and severe". On Sunday afternoon, a large fire broke out in the village of Kozarevo in the southeastern province of Yambol, burning several houses, BNR reported. Countries in southeast Europe have experienced record temperatures over the past week, with many located in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists.

Wildfire in Sardinia forces dozens to flee beach by boat
Wildfire in Sardinia forces dozens to flee beach by boat

Reuters

time6 hours ago

  • Reuters

Wildfire in Sardinia forces dozens to flee beach by boat

MILAN, July 27 (Reuters) - Dozens of beachgoers in Sardinia were forced to flee by boat on Sunday when a huge wildfire broke out nearby, blocking other escape routes, firefighters on the Italian island said. Black smoke could be seen rising from the beach in Villasimius in the south of the island. Strong winds were hindering rescue efforts, firefighters said in a statement, adding that several cars had been burned. Italy has been sweltering under summer heat-waves, with wildfires particularly affecting arid southern regions.

Wildfires threaten Turkish city as southern Europe grapples with blazes
Wildfires threaten Turkish city as southern Europe grapples with blazes

BreakingNews.ie

time7 hours ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Wildfires threaten Turkish city as southern Europe grapples with blazes

Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks are now threatening the country's fourth-largest city, forcing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and leaving one firefighter dead. Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro are also battling blazes fed by unusually high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds. Advertisement Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa, in north-west Turkey, spread rapidly, tinting the night sky over the city's eastern suburbs with a red glow. The fires come amid recent high temperatures (AP) Dozens of severe wildfires have hit the country daily since late June, with the government declaring the two western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik as disaster areas on Friday. The Bursa governor's office said that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the north-east as more than 1,900 firefighters battled the flames. The major road linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned. Advertisement A firefighter died from a heart attack while on duty, the city's mayor Mustafa Bozbey said, adding that the flames had scorched 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city. Helicopters helped battle wildfires near Montenegro (AP) Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as 'an apocalypse'. By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to battle the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood. Forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli said fire crews across the country confronted 84 separate blazes on Saturday. Advertisement The country's north-west was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday and 1,839 people have been evacuated from 19 villages. The minister warned that growing winds could suddenly reignite fires not properly watered down after being extinguished. Turkey recorded its highest temperature on record on Friday with 50.5°C recorded in Silopi ⚠️📈 This exceeds the previous record of 49.5°C recorded on 15th August 2023 🌡️ This extreme heat is bringing serious health impacts and giving a very high risk of wildfires 🔥 — Met Office (@metoffice) July 27, 2025 Beleaguered firefighters and rescue workers also saved thousands of livestock and pets that had been left behind in the rush to evacuate threatened areas. Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fuelling the wildfires. Advertisement The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5C in the south-eastern Sirnak province on Friday. The highest temperatures for July were seen in 132 other locations, it said. Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey. Justice minister Yilmaz Tunc said late on Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects. Smoke rises from trees burned by wildfire near Montenegro's capital Podgorica (AP) In Greece, firefighters battled active wildfires in the country's south-west and on the island of Kythera on Sunday, following a blaze that scorched the northern Athens suburb of Kryoneri on Saturday. Advertisement Temperatures reaching 38C or more persist across much of the country, though winds have eased slightly. In Kryoneri, 27 residents were evacuated overnight with police assistance after some initially ignored warnings. Authorities urged the public to comply with evacuation orders, warning that resistance puts both civilians and rescuers in danger. On Bulgaria's southern borders with Greece and Turkey, as well as the western Serbian frontier, firefighters battled wildfires as the government declared the worst-hit provinces disaster zones. Residents across nearly half the country were issued with a code red warning, the highest level.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store