'Fire spread rapidly.' Gifford Fire grows to nearly 100K acres; evacuation orders, warnings in place

This article was last updated at 8:07 p.m. on Thursday, August 8. For the latest updates on the Gifford Fire, click here.

UPDATE (8:07 p.m.) - As of Thursday evening, the Gifford Fire has grown to nearly 100,000 acres. Currently mapped at 99,232, containment remains at just 15%; 1,982 structures are currently threatened.

According to an incident report released by fire officials, "The Gifford Fire spread rapidly this afternoon in the northwest corner, advancing along Pine Ridge toward the Garcia Wilderness. Fire crews had to withdraw from direct attack for safety reasons and adjust their efforts away from the advancing flames. Consequently, evacuation orders and warnings have been expanded in San Luis Obispo County."

Officials report minimal fire activity on the east and west sides of the fire. Overnight, crews will reportedly work on containment lines to try to stop the forward progress of the fire into the Garcia Wilderness.

Numerous evacuation orders and warnings were issued Thursday in the Huasn and Lopez Lake areas. For a current list and map of evacuations in San Luis Obispo County, click here.

For information on evacuation orders and warnings in Santa Barbara County, click here.

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.

Gifford Fire officials held a community meeting Thursday evening to address public questions, click here to watch.

Officials will host another community meeting in Arroyo Grande on Friday, August 8, at 7 p.m. to provide an update on the fire situation and answer questions. The meeting will be held at Branch Elementary School, located at 970 School Rd.
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UPDATE (4:12 p.m.) - Lopez Lake is now under an official evacuation order.

County officials said all visitors must evacuate the campground immediately.

An evacuation order is a lawful directive to leave the area immediately due to an imminent threat.

County officials issued the update this afternoon, saying all reservations scheduled from Aug. 7 through Aug. 21 will be canceled. Full refunds will be issued automatically.

Public access to Lopez Lake is closed until further notice.

"Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this emergency," county officials said in the update. "Your safety is our top priority, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

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UPDATE (3:44 p.m.) - Arroyo Grande High School is now open as an evacuation shelter for people affected by the Gifford Fire, according to county emergency officials.

Officials said pets are welcome and the American Red Cross is on site and ready to provide assistance.

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UPDATE (2:55 p.m.) - The following roads are closed due to the Gifford Fire:

• Huasna Townsite South at Huasna and Huasna East
• Hi Mountain Road at Lopez Drive
• Huasna Road restricted to residents only
• Highway 166 remains closed between Highway 101 and New Cuyama

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(10:03 a.m.) - New evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for the Huasna Valley and Lopez Lake areas due to the Gifford Fire.

Evacuation orders include zones SLC-261, SLC-262, SLC-311, and SLC-334. These zones include Huasna Valley and east of Lopez Lake. People in these areas should leave now.

Evacuation warnings are in place for zones SLC-260, SLC-296, SLC-310, SLC-333, and SLC-259. This area includes the Lopez Lake/Lopez Lake recreation area as well as south of Lopez Lake, Newsom Ridge, Tar Spring, and parts of Huasna. People in these areas are encouraged to prepare to leave if ordered.

To check if your address is included in an evacuation order or warning in San Luis Obispo County, click here.

For information on evacuation orders and warnings in Santa Barbara County, click here.

Two community meetings regarding the Gifford Fire will be held Thursday evening:

• 6 p.m.: Santa Barbara County Fire Station 23, 5003 Depot Street, Santa Maria; live on YouTube and Facebook
• 7 p.m.: Five Cities Fire Authority, 140 Traffic Way, Arroyo Grande

As of Thursday morning, the Gifford Fire has burned 96,106 acres and is 15% contained; 1,515 structures are threatened.

Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Scott Safechuck provides an update on the Gifford Fire and explains how the weather has been a major challenge:

Fire officials say they've seen success on the south side of the fire. The priority for Thursday is for crews to construct control lines west of Pine Ridge and Haystack Canyon, and on the north side, continuing direct attack along Avenales Ranch Road.

Nearly 3,000 personnel are now assigned to the fire.

Capt. Scott Safechuck on firefighting strategies and what crews expect in the coming days:

The Gifford Fire broke out along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria on Friday, August 1, and continues to burn on both sides of the highway in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

Highway 166 remains closed between Highway 101 and New Cuyama with no estimated time of reopening.