California 'megafire' explodes to 154,000 acres as three injured battling flames

The Gifford wildfire in Southern California has escalated to "megafire" status, becoming the largest fire of 2025 and surpassing the Madre fire from June.

Cal Fire's latest update confirms three injuries due to the wildfire, but no fatalities have been reported yet.

The massive blaze, which sparked along Highway 166 a week ago, has expanded due to extreme heat, bone-dry conditions, and treacherous terrain.

"Fire is burning actively on both sides of the highway with more active spread on the south side," reports Cal Fire.

As firefighters battle the flames, the National Weather Service warns that the risk of wildfires could increase over the weekend due to escalating fire weather conditions, reports The Mirror US.

Inland temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees, especially in the Sacramento Valley.

"We have hot weather, and we have low relative humidity. So we expect extreme fire behavior," Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. Capt. Scott Safechuck told the Associated Press.

The risk of wildfires will remain high throughout the weekend across much of inland California as the heatwave intensifies.

In a statement, the National Weather Service for Los Angeles warned that the southern part of the state has experienced minimal rainfall, drying out vegetation and making it "ripe to burn."

Triple-digit temperatures are predicted for the Sacramento Valley.

Whilst winds are anticipated to remain relatively calm, fire officials warn that conditions are still highly unstable. The Gifford fire has wreaked significant havoc, with Cal Fire reporting that a staggering 2,912 structures are still under threat as the inferno rages on.

Over 2,200 personnel are battling the blaze round the clock.

Evacuation orders were broadened westward on Thursday, increasing the total evacuation area to a massive 800 square miles across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

The NWS has issued health warnings due to the spreading smoke that could affect much of southwest California. Highway 166 remains closed from Highway 101 to SR 33.

The Gifford Fire has now overtaken the Madre Fire, which occurred in July and was previously the state's largest of the year.