Gifford Fire officials will host a community meeting at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 29, at the San Luis Obispo Veterans Memorial Building. The SLO Vets Hall is located at 801 Grand Avenue. The meeting will also 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.
The Gifford Fire broke out on August 1, along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria. As of Thursday, August 28, it has burned 131,614 acres and is 95% contained.
All evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted. However, parts of the Los Padres National Forest remain closed. This closure, which is in effect until February 28, 2026, includes portions of the Santa Lucia Ranger District and Mount Pinos Ranger District. Click here to view the closure order.
More than 1,300 personnel remain assigned to the Gifford Fire, working to complete containment lines and suppression repair efforts to restore roads and trails and remove equipment from the fire line.
Fifteen firefighters have been reported injured, along with three civilian injuries. Five structures are confirmed destroyed.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
