This article was last updated at 9:46 a.m. on Sunday, August 17. For the latest updates on the Gifford Fire, click here.
UPDATE (9:46 a.m.) - CAL FIRE reported Sunday morning that Gifford Fire containment is now 89% and has burned a total of 131,589 acres.
Total fire personnel still stands at 3,761. There have been 9 firefighter injuries and 3 civilian injuries from the fire. The cause remains under investigation.
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UPDATE (6:50 p.m.) - The Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) reports that the Gifford Fire is now 77% contained after burning 132,605 acres.
More than a thousand firefighters have been released from the fire, reducing the number of personnel to 3,761.
In a Saturday evening update, LPNF said that the most challenging phase of the operation has been completed, prompting the reduction in staffing.
Officials added that the increase in resources earlier this week played a crucial role in the success of the strategic firing operation.
According to LPNF, crews will spend Saturday night reinforcing the existing containment lines.
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UPDATE (4 p.m.) - CAL FIRE has revised the acreage burned by the Gifford Fire to 129,992 acres.
The agency says containment remains at 73%.
Gifford Fire officials will be holding a virtual community meeting on Sunday from 6 to 7 p.m. to update the public about the blaze and address questions.
The meeting will be streamed live on the Los Padres National Forest’s YouTube and Facebook pages. To submit questions for the meeting, you can send an email to 2025.gifford@firenet.gov in advance.
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UPDATE (1 p.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services (OES) announced Saturday afternoon that the status of several evacuation orders and warnings prompted by the Gifford Fire had been changed.
OES officials say zones SLC-193, SLC-194, SLC-221, SLC-224, and the western portion of LPF-012 have been downgraded from an evacuation order to an evacuation warning.
Residents in those areas can return to their properties, but should be prepared to evacuate, according to the agency.
Officials report that evacuation warnings in zones LPF-002, LPF-003, LPF-008 SLC-172, SLC-192, SLC-238, SLC-259, SLC-260, and SLC-311 have been lifted.
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ORIGINAL (8:47 a.m.) - The Gifford Fire is 73% contained as of Saturday morning, with acreage burned holding at 132,605 acres.
Fire officials said Friday evening that staffing is being reduced because of the success of backfiring operations earlier in the week. Just less than 4,800 personnel remain assigned to the Gifford Fire, down from a high of nearly 4,980 on Wednesday.
The northwest area of the fire in the Garcia Wilderness remains uncontained but fire officials say crews are making progress, aided by improved weather conditions, including higher humidity overnight.
The Gifford Fire broke out on August 1, along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria. The highway was reopened on Wednesday, but Caltrans says drivers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes as road crews repair damage caused by the fire.
Five structures have been confirmed destroyed by the fire. Many evacuation orders and warnings have been downgraded or canceled in recent days, but there are several that 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.
The following road closures also remain in effect:
- Pozo Road from Las Pilitas Road to Red Hill Road
- River Road from Park Hill Road to Pozo Road
- Park Hill Road from River Road to Pozo Road
- Avenales Ranch Road from Pozo Road to the south end
- Santa Margarita Lake Road
- Hi Mountain Road
Nine firefighters have been reported injured, along with three civilian injuries.
The cause of the fire has not yet been released.
