Update: Madre fire now at 86 percent containment
Update posted July 16:
Residents are encouraged to monitor the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services for any changes in conditions
– The Madre Fire has burned an estimated 80,786 acres and is 86 percent contained as of the most recent update.
The wildfire began shortly after 1 p.m. on July 2 along Highway 166 and has since moved east-northeast toward the Carrizo Plain. Los Padres National Forest is managing the fire under unified command with CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo and the Bureau of Land Management. Initial response efforts included seven air tankers, two helicopters, multiple engines and hand crews.
Crews continue to reinforce containment lines, working through a 300-foot buffer into burned areas and extinguishing hot spots along the southern perimeter. Repair teams have made significant progress in the eastern and western areas of the fire and are nearing completion.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 8 will transfer command of the incident to a local Type 3 team on July 16. Future updates will be provided through the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page and the incident’s Inciweb page.
Officials advise the public to use caution when driving near the fire area, where crews and equipment remain active. Residents are encouraged to monitor the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services for any changes in conditions. The county uses alert systems such as Reverse 911 and AlertSLO, which require registration to receive emergency notifications. Additional information is available at PrepareSLO.org, ReadySLO.org, and AlertSLO.org.
All Bureau of Land Management lands within the Carrizo Plain National Monument remain closed to public access under an emergency closure for public and firefighter safety. Entry is prohibited and violators may face federal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
The Los Padres National Forest has also temporarily closed the Rockfront Ranch off-highway vehicle recreation site and the Gifford Trail in the Santa Lucia Ranger District.
This is the final written update from California Interagency Incident Management Team 8.
Click here for current evacuation information.
Update posted July 9:
Update: Highway 166 reopens after Madre Fire closure
– Highway 166 reopened to all traffic at 6 p.m. on July 8 following a temporary closure due to the Madre Fire.
Officials urged drivers to use caution while traveling through the area, as firefighters, heavy equipment, and support crews may still be present along the roadway. Smoke may remain visible in the region.
Motorists are encouraged to monitor the County Office of Emergency Services and Caltrans District 5 for ongoing updates about road conditions.
Additional road information and updates are available on Caltrans District 5 social media platforms. These include X at @CaltransD5, Facebook at Caltrans Central Coast (District 5), and Instagram at Caltrans_D5.
For more information on transportation projects and funding, visit build.ca.gov.
Drivers are reminded to slow down and exercise caution in work zones.
The California Highway Patrol provides live traffic incident information at http://cad.chp.ca.gov. Statewide traveler updates can be found at https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire was 62 percent contained.
Click here for updated information on the fire.
Update posted July 6:
– The Madre Fire has burned 80,248 acres and is 30% contained as of 3:05 p.m. Sunday, according to fire officials.
The fire started at approximately 1:07 p.m. on July 2. The cause is under investigation.
Click here for updated information on the fire.
Update posted July 5:
Update: Madre Fire grows to nearly 80,000 acres
– The Madre Fire, a wildfire that began July 2 near Highway 166 in New Cuyama, has burned approximately 79,630 acres and is 10 percent contained, according to fire officials.
The fire remains active, and the cause is under investigation. It is located in San Luis Obispo County and is under the unified command of Los Padres National Forest, Cal Fire San Luis Obispo, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Officials reported that 50 structures are currently threatened. No structures have been reported as damaged or destroyed. No civilian or firefighter injuries or fatalities have been reported.
Click here for updated information on the fire.
Original article posted July 3:
Crews battle Madre Fire near Carrizo Plains
– What has been named the Madre Fire is burning in the eastern part of San Luis Obispo County near Carrizo Plains. It is currently at 35,530 acres, according to the Watch Duty app.
As of 6 a.m., the fire was marked 5 percent contained.
Evacuations have been ordered east of the fire. Click here to see evacuation zone information.
Smoky conditions in the area are expected.
