The bulk of the fire is threatening the Carrizo Plain National Monument, which is home to several endangered and threatened wildlife and plant species.

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 fire rapidly spread to over 35,000 acres overnight as it burned through grasslands in a section of the Los Padres National Park. By around 9:30 p.m. PT on July 3, the fire expanded to nearly 52,

A fast-moving California wildfire exploded to become the state’s biggest of the year, forcing evacuations and the closure of a highway, and evoking memories of the devastating blazes that laid waste to parts of the state in January.