Gifford Fire grows to more than 125,000 acres as it shifts west in SLO County
The Gifford Fire grew nearly 3,000 acres overnight and then added another 3,600 Tuesday, reaching a total of 125,648 acres as of 4 p.m., according to the Los Padres National Forest.
Northeastern winds after sunset Monday evening drove the fire to spread west along the Garcia Ridge, close to established containment lines along Hi Mountain Road, which runs between the Garcia and Santa Lucia Wildnerness areas.
Crews worked overnight to remove vegetation in advance of the main fire to prepare for a 'strategic firing operation,' which is tentatively scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon contingent on weather conditions, manageable fire behavior and complete readiness of resources.
Firefighters established containment lines on the northeast side of the fire near Los Pelados and Midway roads. Crews laid hoses in the area and will work to extinguish any remaining hot spots Tuesday. Other parts of the perimeter were in mop-up and patrol status.
Hot and dry conditions were expected to continue Tuesday, with poor humidity recovery in higher elevations through the night. Winds on the ridges were expected to shift from northeasterly Monday evening to northwesterly during the daytime on Tuesday, with gusts reaching up to 20 miles per hour in the afternoon and evening.
Evacuation orders expanded Monday to zones SLC-193, SLC-194, SLC-221, SLC-224, which include the areas of Pozo Road, Santa Margarita Lake, Parkhill Road and River Road, and west of the Los Padres National Forest.
Zones SLC-172 and SLC-192 were both added to the evacuation warning, which includes the areas north of Santa Margarita Lake, south of Las Pillas Road, west of Los Padres National Forest and east of Pozo Road.
To view all areas under evacaution orders and warnings, visit readyslo.org/GiffordFire.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
38 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Firefighters battle wildfire along California highway north of Los Angeles
GORMAN, Calif. — Firefighters were battling a wildfire along Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles early Thursday, officials said. The King Fire was burning about 400 acres (162 hectares) with 5% containment near Smokey Bear Road along the freeway in northern Los Angeles County, the Angeles National Forest said in a statement posted on social media. One recreational vehicle park in the area was sheltering in place and an evacuation warning was in place for another, officials said.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
King Fire near Gorman grows to 400 acres prompting evacuation warnings
A brush fire burning near the Gorman area along Interstate 5 erupted early Thursday morning, prompting evacuation warnings. The blaze, dubbed the King Fire, sparked along Interstate 5 near Smokey Bear Road between Gorman and Pyramid Lake around 1:02 a.m. Firefighters from the Angeles National Forest and the Los Angeles County Fire Department quickly responded and began working in unified command to battle the fire. As of 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, the fire had grown to 400 acres and is 5% contained, according to the LA County Fire Department. The two right lanes of the northbound Interstate 5 are closed from Vista Del Lago to Smokey Bear Road, the Angeles National Forest said. The Angeles National Forest issued a shelter-in-place order for the Pyramid Lake RV Park and an evacuation warning for the Paradise RV Park. Shelter in place: Evacuation warnings: Use this link to learn more about the evacuations.
Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Associated Press
Greece, Spain and Portugal race to contain wildfires as EU steps up cross-border help
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Fire crews in Greece, Spain and Portugal raced Thursday to contain wildfires, taking advantage of calmer winds that slowed the blazes' advance. Much of southern Europe, however, remains at high risk under hot, dry conditions. A drop in wind speeds allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts. Authorities warned that extreme temperatures are likely to persist. Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of Madrid this week. It was the third reported death in Spain due to the recent fires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still can't return. In Greece, the Fire Service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set. The European Union's civil protection agency said it responded to requests for assistance this week from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania, sending firefighting planes and helicopters from other member states. The agency said it had already activated assistance 16 times amid this summer's wildfires as European countries have been hit by 'a high number of catastrophic wildfires.' The number of activations for 2025 already matches the total for wildfires during the entire 2024 fire season, it said.
