Madre

Madre, Los Padres NF, USFS. Twenty miles northwest of New Cuyama, CA. Grass and chaparral. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Area, road and trail closures in effect.

July 13, 2025 at 7:59 PM

Due to successful suppression actions, no overnight perimeter growth is expected. Expect smoldering and creeping in the brush fuel types, and extinguishment in the grass fuels.

Temperatures again today across the fire ranged from 85 in the higher elevations to 102 in the valleys with RH between 14-30 percent. Winds by the afternoon increased from the west, 15-20 mph with gusts of 25-30 mph. Temperatures for tonight will range from low 50s in the cooler valleys to low 70s for the hills and plains. For Monday, the overall pattern remains unchanged, with similar conditions as we experienced on Sunday.

July 13, 2025 at 8:53 AM

As of 7:00 am yesterday, CAL FIRE went out of unified command. Crews were very productive, as all completed fire lines were earned through labor-intensive mop-up operations, with crews seeking out hotspots along rugged terrain. Crews and engines have done a fantastic job in securing containment lines in the Morales Canyon area, and the job is expected to be completed today. Containment line construction that remains is on the southeastern flank of the fire. The latest infrared (IR) flight has revealed heat signatures of vegetation that continue to burn deep within the interior perimeter; however, these pockets of fuel present no threat to containment lines. Suppression repair operations continue along the other flanks of the fire; this will add suppression repair crews as recovery planning is underway.

As Hwy 166 is open to all vehicle traffic, we ask the public to exercise extreme caution when traveling as firefighters, heavy equipment, and crews continue to work along and near the roadway

July 12, 2025 at 6:59 AM

Mop-up operations continue along the west, northwest, and far southeast perimeters to strengthen control lines and prevent fire from crossing over containment. On the north and northeast perimeter, crews are transitioning to suppression repair work while continuing to patrol and extinguish any scattered hot spots. The southwest flank is being actively patrolled to ensure containment, as there is less isolated heat among the juniper vegetation in these inaccessible areas. Suppression repair work on the east and west flanks includes assessing damage, completing repairs where conditions allow, and documenting fire impacts to support recovery planning.

Hwy 166 is open to all vehicle traffic, and we ask the public to exercise extreme caution when traveling as firefighters, heavy equipment, and crews continue to work along and near the roadway.

July 11, 2025 at 7:37 AM

San Luis Obispo County, the evacuation order for Zone SLC – 240 has been downgraded to an evacuation warning. Please continue to monitor San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services for changing conditions. Please use caution when driving near the fire area as firefighters, equipment and crews are still working along the roadways.

No areas of growth along the perimeter, very small area of intense fire was are within the southeastern portion of the perimeter, areas of scattered heat is within the northwestern portion of the perimeter, isolate fires were detected within the perimeter.

Work continues along the west, northwest, northeast, and southwest of the fire perimeter to strengthen both – direct and indirect – containment lines as well as mop-up and patrol to ensure lines are secure.  Dozer and handcrews are engaged on rugged terrain along the southeast flank, with ongoing efforts focused on structure protection and securing Highway 166. Aerial resources will continue to support ground operations with targeted drops as weather and visibility allow. Ongoing suppression repair efforts are focused on portions of the fire perimeter where containment has been secured, and conditions remain stable.

July 10, 2025 at 6:43 AM

Firefighters are actively reinforcing both direct and indirect containment lines along the west and northwest edges of the fire. Crews in the north and northeast are engaged in mop-up and are actively patrolling existing lines. These efforts will aid in the prevention of reignition and ensure containment holds. The southeast flank of the fire continues to challenge crews due to the steep, rugged, and in some areas’ inaccessible terrain. To access this area crews are being transported by air daily. Crews are working to complete mop-up along the Highway 166 corridor. There are still some unburned fuels and isolated heat sources remaining within the interior of the burned area. Aerial resources will remain engaged, weather permitting. Suppression repair has started in areas where containment lines have been secured.

July 6, 2025 at 9:51 AM

The Madre Fire remains active due to dry fuels, sustained winds, and high temperatures. Firefighters made good progress around the outer perimeter of the fire, creating direct and indirect lines, and increased containment. The incident command team is utilizing a variety of resources including helicopters, dozers, engines, and hot shot crews. Crews are working around the clock towards full suppression of the fire. 

Weather

Temperatures are consistent, reaching highs in the 80s to mid-90s with humidity levels between 5-15% on Sunday and Monday. Shifting winds are expected to blow 5-10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Monday will bring slightly stronger southwest winds. Mid-week temperatures are forecast to rise, with valleys reaching 98-108°F. 

Evacuations

The County of San Luis Obispo has multiple alert and notification systems the public can use to access emergency information. Two of these systems, Reverse 911 and AlertSLO, require the public to register their devices to receive emergency information. For more information, please visit the following – PrepareSLO.org 

The emergency notification system for Kern County provides essential information quickly in a variety of situations, such as earthquakes, severe weather, fire, floods, or evacuation of buildings or neighborhoods Sign up for Ready Kern 

For the latest information on evacuations and available resources for San Barbara County, please visit ReadySBC.org

Area Closures

All BLM lands in Carrizo Plain National Monument are closed to public access until further notice for public and firefighter safety. Entry is prohibited and violators face federal penalties including fines and possible imprisonment. Please see Emergency Closure Order for additional information.

July 5, 2025 at 8:43 AM

Active fire activity was observed, with wind driven terrain influenced runs. Significant fire growth to the southeast was observed in Div P, R, & T, and to the north in Div E & F.

Large areas of perimeter growth and intense fire were detected at the northwestern, southeastern perimeter of the fire, moderate areas of intense fire were detected along the northwestern perimeter of the fire, numerous isolated fires were detected within the perimeter, and there is large areas of scattered fire were detected within the perimeter.

High-voltage transmission lines are in the area, major commerce route on Highway 166 threatened, Cultural and heritage areas remain threatened by fire, threats to federal and local communications infrastructure and threats to cattle grazing land.

All BLM lands in Carrizo Plain National Monument are closed to public access effective immediately. This emergency closure is for public and firefighter safety. Entry is prohibited and violators face federal penalties including fines and imprisonment.

July 4, 2025 at 8:19 AM

The fire remained active throughout the night, displaying wind-driven runs and active fire behavior when topography and fuels align.

Fire behavior is expected to be extreme, characterized by rapid uphill runs and wind-driven head fire spread. The presence of dry, cured annual grasses will support high rates of spread with intense flame lengths. Alignment of slope and wind will further exacerbate fire behavior, creating challenging suppression conditions.

Hot conditions are expected to persist through at least Saturday, with minimum humidities likely to lower into the mid teens, with lower teens possible (30-40% chance). High mixing heights will also continue the risk of plume dominated fire behavior, especially in the afternoon to early evening hours. Today into Saturday expect a trend of decreasing winds, especially on Saturday.

July 3, 2025 at 10:53 AM

The Madre Fire broke out shortly after 1:00 pm on Wednesday, July 2, along Highway 166. The fire is estimated at more than 35,000 acres and burning east-northeast onto the Carrizo Plain. Los Padres is in Unified Command with Calfire SLO and the Bureau of Land Management. A full response was initiated that included seven air tankers, and two helicopters along with multiple engines and hand crews.

The following zones are under an evacuation order:
LPF-017, SLC-226, SLC-264, SLC-265, SLC-299, SLC-312, SLC-337, SLC-338

The following zones are under an evacuation warning:
San Luis Obispo County – SLC-263, SLC-298, SLC-300, SLC-313, SLC-339, SLC-358

Santa Barbara County – East of the Rock Front Area, West of Cottonwood Canyon Rd, and South of Highway 166.

Temporary Evacuation Point has been set up at the CA Valley CSD – 13080 Soda Lake Rd, Santa Margarita, CA 93453.

Cooperating agencies include: California Highway Patrol, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff, Santa Barbara County Sheriff, Pacific Gas and Electric, CAL OES Fire, CAL OES Law, San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services, California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Continued hot conditions are expected for the Madre Fire on Thursday, with highs again in the mid to upper 90s. Humidities are expected to increase some, with minimum values near 20 percent. However, there is a 30 percent chance of minimum humidities between 12 to 15 percent.

Mixing heights will be high enough to allow for plume dominated fire behavior, especially in the afternoon to early evening hours. Light winds in the morning will increase from the west, becoming gusty in the afternoon to evening with peak gusts between 20 to 25 mph.