California faces devastating wildfire as blaze consumes 83,000 acres and poses risk to numerous buildings amidst ongoing wildfire crisis.

A massive wildfire, known as the Gifford fire, is wreaking havoc in California’s Los Padres national forest, putting hundreds of homes and buildings at risk and injuring at least three people. The fire has already consumed nearly 84,000 acres in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and remains uncontrolled as of Tuesday evening. This makes the Gifford fire the largest wildfire in California this year, surpassing the Madre fire which burned 80,779 acres last month. The fire is threatening more than 800 structures and has led to the evacuation of residents and the relocation of cattle. The blaze origin was from multiple smaller fires that started on Friday along State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield. Firefighters face difficult conditions due to the terrain and the upcoming heatwave, which is expected to exacerbate the situation from Wednesday to the weekend. The National Weather Service has also issued warnings about the vast amount of smoke produced by the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/california-gifford-wildfire