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.

California’s largest wildfire of the year grew to an estimated 70,801 acres Friday, producing smoke that has affected millions of residents across the southern part of the state. The Madre Fire in

The Madre Fire is the largest wildfire in California in 2025 — surpassing the Los Angeles-area fires that devastated parts of the region in January.