A wildfire in Southern California has burned over 72,000 acres in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, officials said.

Nearly 2,000 firefighters are fighting a battle against the Gifford wildfire in central California that has already burned more than 72,000 acres.

The Gifford Fire in central California has expanded to become one of the state's largest active wildfires, burning over 72,000 acres and prompting widespread evacuation orders. Newsweek contacted Cal Fire for comment via email outside of standard working hours on Tuesday.