The Gifford Fire has scorched more than 83,000 acres of California's Central Coast, becoming the state's largest wildfire of the year so far. The massive wildfire burning in eastern San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties was 9% contained as of Wednesday, Aug. 6, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The blaze threatened about 450 structures and forced the closure of the highway in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people in Santa Barbara County

Rising temperatures on Wednesday posed new challenges for firefighters who have made incremental progress against a massive wildfire in central California that injured four people as it became the biggest blaze in the state so far this year.