The Madre Fire, now the largest wildfire in California this year, expanded to 79,630 acres by Saturday, July 5, prompting expanded evacuation orders and worsening air quality across parts of Southern California.
As of Saturday morning, containment remained at 10%, officials said.
The fire ignited shortly after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, along Highway 166 near New Cuyama in San Luis Obispo County. Pushed by strong winds, the blaze rapidly advanced east-northeast onto the Carrizo Plain, scorching tens of thousands of acres of dry brush within days…