A wildfire in a wilderness area of central California has exploded in size. Dry, hot weather is raising the fire risk for large portions of the state ahead of the July Fourth holiday.

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.

According to Cal Fire, the Madre Fire started at 1:07 p.m. along state Route 166 near New Cuyama, which is a major road on the way to Las Vegas. The blaze was at 9,800 acres and zero containment as of 10:11 p.m.