Firefighters surrounded more of the Madre Fire on Sunday, but continue to battle challenging conditions as Highway 166 remained closed.
The fire burning in southeastern San Luis Obispo County has grown to 80,480 acres, with 30% containment, according the U.S. Forest Service.
The Madre Fire started Wednesday afternoon about 40 miles northeast of Santa Maria. So far, it’s remained in San Luis Obispo County, in land under federal jurisdiction.
Officials have not estimated when they expect to achieve full containment.
“The Madre Fire remains active due to dry fuels, sustained winds, and high temperatures,” federal officials said. “Firefighters made good progress around the outer perimeter of the fire, creating direct and indirect lines, and increased containment.”
Highway 166 closed Wednesday afternoon, and was expected to stay shut down through the weekend, the California Highway Patrol said.
The road connects the Central Coast with the Cuyama and southern San Joaquin valleys,
Incident commanders were keeping an eye on weather, as the forecast called for hotter conditions in the coming days.
Temperatures were expect to hit 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 degrees.”
On Sunday, officials said the firefighting force had grown to 1,472 people, including 34 hand crews.
The team also included 64 engines. 28 bulldozers, 26 water tenders and 16 helicopters.
The base camp and incident command post were set up at the Santa Maria Elks/Unocal Event Center.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Residents may see or smell smoke from this incident, with moderate air quality reported detected by some sensors in the county. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District has issued Air Quality Watches and Alerts OurAir.org
Air Quality readings also can be checked on the Air Now Fire & Smoke map by clicking here.