By Saturday morning, the Gifford Fire burning east of Santa Maria had charred 12,400 acres and was 5 percent contained.
According to Los Padres National Forest officials, initially four separate fires started along the north side of Highway 166 Friday afternoon.
Los Padres National Forest Public Information Officer Fleming Bertelsen told KSBY News the fire spread rapidly and is burning on both sides of the highway.
“[It] had a lot of fire behavior factors driving it; wind speeds low and low, relative humidity combined with light fossil fuels and direct sunlight,” Bertelsen said,
He added that one person was injured in the fire.
“[An] individual sustained significant burns,” Bertelsen said. “We got caught behind the fire, is what I'm told, and was promptly taken to the hospital in Santa Maria.”
The Gifford Fire is burning just west of where the Madre Fire broke out one month ago.
Bertelsen says the burn scars from the Madre Fire are helping box in the Gifford Fire.
“The Madre Fire, which we just days ago got under full containment, but still the largest fire in the state of 80,000 acres,” Bertelsen said. “And what's unique about this fire is, I guess you could say it's fortuitous, but it started just southwest of the Madrid fire. The wind is blowing out of the southwest, so at least we have that big burn scar northeast of us to kind of help box us, box this in.”
Some residents in the area shared their thoughts on see fire crews in th area once again.
“What I did see was the planes and helicopters flying over,” said Gisell Martinez of Santa Maria.
“But it wasn't scary at the moment,” said Petreck Reiger of Arroyo Grande.
