UPDATE (7:30 p.m.) - Containment on the Gifford Fire has increased to 91%, according to Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) officials.
The fire did not spread on Sunday, reportedly remaining at 131,589 acres burned.
This weekend, LPNF officials say crews focused on suppression efforts, including mop-up operations, patrolling, and removing equipment from the northwestern end of the fire.
Meanwhile, resources on the southern end reportedly addressed isolated hot spots and conducted fire suppression repair throughout the region.
Over 700 firefighting resources were released Sunday, bringing the total number of personnel assigned to the Gifford Fire to 3,047.
This weekend, crews have been using drone technology to target hotspots and increase containment.
According to LPNF officials, Sunday marks the last day that nightly incident updates will be issued unless conditions change.
The agency says it will continue to provide the latest fire conditions each morning.
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ORIGINAL (10:49 a.m.) - Gifford Fire officials will host a virtual community meeting on Sunday at 6 p.m. to provide an update on the fire and answer questions from the public. The meeting will be streamed live on the Los Padres National Forest’s YouTube and Facebook pages. Questions may be sent in advance to 2025.gifford@firenet.gov.
As of Sunday morning, the Gifford Fire is 89% contained and the acreage burned has been revised down to 131,589 acres.
Despite strong winds overnight on the ridge tops, fire officials say crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading beyond containment lines. Higher humidity overnight has also helped.
Firefighters are now focusing on mop-up operations and patrolling for smoldering embers, burning tree stumps, and other safety concerns. Along the south side of the fire, crews are reportedly conducting suppression repair to help prevent erosion and begin the process of restoring the landscape. This includes stabilizing dozer lines, handlines, roads, and trails that were disturbed during firefighting.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 Planning Operations Section Chief Tony Occhipinti provides an update on the fire situation as of Sunday morning:
The Gifford Fire broke out on August 1, along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria.
Five structures have been confirmed destroyed by the fire. Some evacuation 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 the latest information on evacuation orders and warnings in Santa Barbara County, click here.
Nine firefighters have been reported injured, along with three civilian injuries.
The cause of the fire has not yet been released.
