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.

The fire sparked in the Los Padres National Forest in San Luis Obispo County and was growing exponentially, officials warned. The area is mostly uninhabited.

A California wildfire that started on Wednesday afternoon continues to burn, having destroyed over 35,000 acres as of Thursday afternoon, with only a tiny portion contained. California has already been hit with massive wildfires this year,