California's biggest wildfire of the year threatens homes, injures 4

The Gifford fire, the largest of the year in California, threatens nearly 870 homes and caused four injuries this Thursday, according to local authorities, cited by the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

More than 870 homes and other isolated structures in the northern reaches of the Los Padres National Forest are threatened by the Gifford Fire, which grew slightly overnight after burning out of control for days, according to the AP.

Authorities also reported four injuries, including a firefighter who was treated for dehydration.

The fire, which started Friday, has already burned nearly 340 square kilometers of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and is only 9% contained.

The Gifford Fire has surpassed the 326-square-kilometer Madre Fire, which broke out in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, California, in July.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Captain Scott Safechuck, quoted by the AP, said Thursday that crews are working in steep and inaccessible terrain, and will face temperatures in the 95s and above 100°F (35°C) .

"We have hot weather and low relative humidity," the captain noted, emphasizing that firefighters expect "extreme fire behavior" but, "fortunately, calm winds."

The risk of wildfires will increase over the weekend across much of inland California as the heat wave intensifies.

The southern part of the state received little rainfall throughout the year, drying out vegetation and leaving it "ready to burn," the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned.

The state of California currently has 12 large fires burning, and authorities are warning of an increased threat in August and September.

According to a wildfire forecast from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Cal Fire, in the southern part of the state, "the threat is driven by persistent drought, high concentrations of grasses, and weakening coastal moisture."

In mountainous areas and Northern California, months of little or no rain are “ pushing conditions to critical levels faster than normal ,” Cal Fire warned.

More than 2,200 firefighters are battling the Gifford Fire, which grew out of four smaller fires that ignited Friday along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people.

The causes of the fires are under investigation, and the flames are spreading across a vast, largely unpopulated region that includes forests, farms, large properties in canyons, and agricultural areas growing grapes and strawberries.

The weather service has warned of health risks from the spread of smoke, which could affect much of southwestern California.

Last weekend, a driver was hospitalized with burns after exiting his vehicle and being engulfed in flames.