[Update: Mon., Aug. 4, 2025, 11am] Gifford’s fire increased to 65,062 acres and went from 5 to 3% confinement on Monday morning. The rapidly growing fire has widened the evacuation orders and warnings for the County of Santa Barbara Plus in the East while the fire teams continue to work to improve the containment lines and to protect the 460 structures threatened by the fire.
For more information on evacuations in the county of Santa Barbara, visit Readysbc.org and consult the Gifford fire evacuation card. A temporary evacuation point is now open to Benjamin Foxen primary school (4949 Foxen Canyon RD., Santa Maria). To get help, call the American Red Cross to (805) 678-3073.
Those who have to house large animals should call the County Animal Services Hotline to (805) 681-4332. To house small animals / domestic, the following places are available:
- 111 Dr, Buellton (open at 5 p.m.)
- 548 W Foster RD, Santa Maria (open until 6 p.m.)
- 1501 W Central Ave, Lompoc (open until 6 p.m.)
- 5473 Overpass RD, Goleta (open until 6 p.m.)
[Original Story] Gifford’s fire near the border of the counties of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo increased to 43,118 acres at 10 am Sunday morning, forcing the evacuation orders to develop while the firefighters continue to build a line along the southern parts of the fire.
The fire started on Friday afternoon and exploded at 30,000 acres by Saturday, forcing the evacuation orders to be issued in the areas surrounding the 166 motorway in the two counties. Sunday morning, the fire extended to 43,118 acres, with only five percent containment, according to the National Interigency Fire Center.
Areas near the canyon Upper Tepusquet, south of the 166 motorway, and the areas east of Willow Springs Trailhead and west of Cottonwood Canyon Road are now ordered to evacuate. Residents of Lower Tepusquet Canyon (north of the Sisquoc river) and areas west of School House Road are now under evacuation warnings and should be ready to evacuate if necessary. Highway 166 is closed from Highway 101 to Highway 33.
More than 560 firefighters were responsible for helping, and the crews work to create a line on the southern parts of the fire at the Brea Road. The crews also use historical containment lines on the edge is the fire from Miranda Pine Mountain to the Cuyama Valley. Dopisses are under construction on the western flank, and lines are established to prevent the fire from spreading in the gaugesina desert in the north.
Captain Scott Safechuck from the County Fire Service of Santa Barbara said that 360 residences were threatened, some of which were near the school and Cottonwood canyons. The conditions should be hot and dry during the weekend, and the winds on the ground could create more challenges on Sunday afternoon.
Land and air resources have been activated and several agencies fight the fire, which burns in the National Forest of Los Padres. The District for the control of air pollution from Santa Barbara has issued air quality monitoring for the whole county of Santa Barbara, as well as an air quality alert for the Cuyama region; The two remain in force until the conditions improve.
Emergency officials urge residents to closely monitor changing conditions and updated evacuation plans. Real -time alerts will be issued to Readysbc.org and the surveillance application.
The cause of Gifford’s fire is still the subject of an investigation, although the California Highway Patrol reported that the fire was perhaps triggered by sparks from a motorist driving near the motorway 166.
