The fire sparked in the Los Padres National Forest in San Luis Obispo County and was growing exponentially, officials warned. The area is mostly uninhabited.

The Madre Fire is the largest wildfire in California in 2025 — surpassing the Los Angeles-area fires that devastated parts of the region in January.

The Madre Fire ignited Wednesday afternoon in San Luis Obispo County and has since grown to more than 35,500 acres, according to Cal Fire.