Firefighters on Sunday were managing a massive Madre fire in San Luis Obispo County.
Fire containment reached 30%, according to Andrew Madsen, a spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest. The Tuesday had grown slightly on Sunday, more than 80,000 acres of rural areas.
“We have the resources we need,” Madsen said. “And the ground firefighters are making good progress.”
The fire began Wednesday around 1pm east of Santa Maria near the town of Newcayuma. More than 200 people were subject to forced evacuation orders, with around 50 structures under threat as of Sunday afternoon. One building burned. The cause of the fire that was fueled by fire and wind is under investigation. Almost 1,400 firefighters were on the scene.
Most of the fires have threatened Kariso Plain National Monument, home to several endangered and threatened wildlife and plant species. The Los Padres National Forest, Cal Fire San Luis Obispo and the Bureau of Land Management share jurisdiction over fires.
All BLM lands on the National Monument are closed for public access until further notice for security reasons.
Weather conditions were expected to remain stable until Monday before the mid-week heatwave across Southern California made the situation even more difficult. Madsen said firefighters wanted continued progress over the next few days.
Times staff writers Colleen Charby and Caroline Petrou Cohen contributed to this report.
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