California’s largest wildfire of 2025 has exploded in size, prompting urgent evacuations as fire-fueling heat grips the region.

Amid a worsening climate crisis, the fires in California have reached catastrophic levels as the Gifford Fire rips through the central coast, tearing across dry forests and mountain terrain with alarming speed and intensity.

A separate wildfire, dubbed the Gifford Fire, has burned more than 101,000 acres, according to Watch Duty. It was formed by four smaller fires that started on Aug. 1, the AP reported. There have been more than 4,400 wildfires in California so far this year, up from 3,800 at the same time last year.