Julie Righetti has a front row seat to the Gifford Fire on her ranch off of West Pozo Road as the flames burn into the Garcia Wilderness.
“It's very, very scary but man, they have thrown everything at this, and it's been quite the air show, quite the ground show," she said.
It reminds her of what her late father, Bob Righetti, said about the Garcia Wilderness when he worked as a District Fire Management Official for the Santa Maria Ranger District.
“Forests do need to be managed. My dad was a huge proponent of controlled burns,” Righetti said.
The region as a whole is no stranger to fire danger, with major fires like the Las Pilitas Fire back in 1985 serving as a reminder of how rapidly fire can spread, burning 85,000 acres. But the Garcia Wilderness has never seen any fire activity.
“The area has not seen fire. That's why we're keeping a close eye on it, because we have no history for that area,” said Rich Eagan, Gifford Fire Public Information Officer.
Eagan says the forest is so dense, it’s not even accessible by foot. He says if the weather cooperates over the next 48 hours, crews will be able to make progress controlling the northern flank of the fire.
Meanwhile, Bob Righetti’s words serve as a reminder that even with progress, local residents should stay vigilant.
“My father always taught us to never willingly put yourself in the way that somebody has to risk their life to save yours,” Julie Righettie recalled.
