Gifford Fire officials report minimal growth overnight after a rapid expansion of the fire on the northwest side on Thursday.
The fire broke out one week ago, on August 1, along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria, burning on both sides of the highway into San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
As of Friday morning, the fire has burned 99,232 acres and is 15% contained — the same numbers reported Thursday night.
Officials say a temperature inversion overnight helped to reduce wind and hold in moisture, creating better firefighting conditions. The goal for firefighters on Friday will be to continue building control lines around the growth on the northwest side of the fire, mopping up on the east and west sides, and connecting control lines in the San Rafael Wilderness on the south side.
Nearly 3,000 structures remain threatened by the fire.
Thursday's growth prompted numerous evacuation orders and warnings, primarily in the Huasna Valley area and around Lopez Lake. Those orders and warnings remain in effect. Residents in San Luis Obispo County can check whether their property is included in evacuations by visiting this link.
For information on evacuation orders and warnings in Santa Barbara County, click here.
Gifford Fire officials will be holding a community meeting in Arroyo Grande on Friday, August 8, at 7 p.m. to provide an update on the fire situation and answer residents' questions. The meeting will be held at Branch Elementary School, located at 970 School Rd. The meeting will also be streamed live on the Los Padres National Forest's YouTube and Facebook. Questions can be submitted in advance to 2025.gifford@firenet.gov.
Evacuation sites are set up at the following locations:
- Arroyo Grande High School is open as an evacuation shelter. Pets are welcome. Call (805) 543-2444 with questions.
- Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center, located at 4689 Highway 166 in New Cuyama, is currently open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents can access this location for relief from the heat and smoke, N95 masks, water bottles, and incident information.
- The American Red Cross can also be contacted for assistance at (805) 678-3073.
For residents who need to evacuate with large animals, the Elks Rodeo Grounds in Santa Maria is open for large animal evacuations. People needing help with small animals should contact the Animal Services in their county.
As of Friday, August 8, through February 8, 2026, the Los Padres National Forest is closed to the public for safety and the protection of natural resources. This closure includes the entire Santa Lucia Ranger District and a portion of the Mount Pinos Ranger District. Click here to view the closure order.
Highway 166 also remains closed between Highway 101 and New Cuyama with no estimated time for reopening.
Other road closures include:
- Huasna Townsite South at Huasna and Huasna East
- Hi Mountain Road at Lopez Drive
- Huasna Road restricted to residents only
- Pozo Road at River Road
- Pozo Road at Santa Margarita Lake Road
Santa Margarita Lake is currently under an evacuation warning and all reservations through August 21 are canceled, according to San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation. Current campers may choose to stay. Refunds will be issued for canceled reservations and for those who choose to leave early.
Officials say 3,431 personnel are currently assigned to the fire.
The following map shows the progression of the fire since it broke out on August 1:
