Madre Fire initially started 1:07 p.m. July 2 in San Luis Obispo County, California. Since its discovery four days ago, it has burned 79,936 acres. A crew of 1,122 firefighters effectively contained 30% of the fire by Sunday morning. The cause of it remains under investigation.

The bulk of the fire is threatening the Carrizo Plain National Monument, which is home to several endangered and threatened wildlife and plant species.

The Madre Fire has grown to 70,800 acres as of Friday afternoon. According to an afternoon update by Cal Fire, the wildfire remained at 10% containment. It has also destroyed one outbuilding, the agency said. Flames from the Madre Fire send a towering plume of smoke into the sky in eastern San Luis Obispo County on July 2, 2025.