At a special meeting on Monday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a local emergency proclamation due to the Gifford Fire.
Emergency declarations allow local governments to free up resources to respond to a disaster, take emergency actions that may not normally be permitted, and clear the way to seek aid from higher levels of government.
The Gifford Fire broke out along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria on August 1. As of Monday morning, it had burned nearly 120,000 acres.
Most of the fire’s growth in recent days has been along the northern flanks of the fire. On Monday, evacuation orders were issued for the areas of Pozo and Santa Margarita Lake. Last week, the Huasna Valley and Lopez Lake were placed under evacuation.
Residents in San Luis Obispo County can check whether their property is included in evacuations by visiting this link.
At Monday’s special meeting, supervisors expressed their gratitude to the multiple fire departments and other emergency agencies responding to the fire.
“Having attended some of the community meetings facilitated by our first responders, my comment is how impressed I am of the overall operation and response. They are doing an amazing job, both at the federal, state and local level and I couldn’t be more proud. Hope everyone stays safe,” said District 4 Supervisor Jimmy Paulding.
