The Madre Fire in central California expanded to nearly 53,000 in one day, making it the largest wildfire this year in California.

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