Gifford Fire burns 72,000 acres, accompanied by 2 other wildfires in California
Since it started on Friday afternoon, the Gifford Fire -- which is situated within the Los Padres National Forest in Solvang, California -- has burned 72,460 acres and has only reached 7% containment, prompting evacuation orders for those in the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, officials said.
While the flames have been centered around thick brush and rugged terrain, officials said over 800 structures are threatened by this wildfire.
Nearly 2,000 personnel have been dispatched to help fight the flames, with "great progress made on the west, north and east flanks of the fire" on Monday, according to Los Padres National Forest officials.
Warmer weather on Thursday and Friday could increase the "fire behavior" and pose a threat to the already raging flames, officials said.
MORE: Gifford Fire burns over 72,000 acres in California
On Tuesday, officials said they will deploy helicopters to "deliver very significant water drops" and will establish two new base camps to allow personnel to "more efficiently access the fire perimeter."
An air quality alert in Cuyama, California, and an air quality watch for the rest of Santa Barbara County continues to remain in place "until conditions improve," according to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.
The fire is also impacting those outside of California, with smoke from the flames filtering into the Las Vegas Valley, "reducing visibility and air quality," according to the National Weather Service Las Vegas.
Officials expect smoky conditions in the Las Vegas area "for at least another couple of days."
MORE: Maui firefighters battle brush fire in Ka'anapali
Along with the Gifford Fire, firefighters are now also battling two additional flames in Central California that began on Monday -- the Rosa Fire and the Gold Fire, according to Cal Fire.
The Rosa Fire, which is situated within Riverside County, has prompted evacuation orders and has destroyed 1,200 acres as of Tuesday, according to Cal Fire. The Gold Fire, which is located in San Bernardino County, is centered around "steep, rugged terrain in the northern area of the Mountaintop Ranger District" and has burned 348 acres, Cal Fire said.
As of Tuesday, the Rosa Fire is 5% contained and the Gold Fire is 0% contained, officials said.
The cause of all three fires remains under investigation, officials said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
22 minutes ago
- New York Post
Massive California wildfire keeps growing — becomes state's largest blaze of the year
Rising temperatures on Wednesday posed new challenges for firefighters who have made incremental progress against a massive wildfire in central California that has injured four people as it has become the biggest blaze in the state so far this year. More than 870 remote homes and other structures at the northern edge of Los Padres National Forest are threatened by the Gifford Fire, which grew only slightly overnight after burning out of control for days. The fire has scorched at least 131 square miles (339 square kilometers) of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with just 9% containment. 3 A massive wildfire has injured four people across central California, as this latest blaze is the biggest one to hit the state this year. AP It surpassed the 126-square mile (326-square-kilometer) Madre Fire, which erupted last month in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, as the state's largest fire of 2025. Crews working in steep, inaccessible terrain will be dealing with temperatures in the mid-90s (35 Celsius) on Wednesday and above 100 (38 Celsius) on Thursday, said Capt. Scott Safechuck with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. 'We have hot weather, and we have low relative humidity,' Safechuck said Wednesday. 'So we expect extreme fire behavior.' Luckily, winds are expected to remain relatively calm, he said. Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as the heat wave intensifies. 3 The wildfires covered at least 131 square miles across the areas of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. REUTERS The southern part of the state has seen very little rain, drying out vegetation and making it 'ripe to burn,' the National Weather Service for Los Angeles warned in a statement. Triple-digit temperatures (around 38 Celsius) are forecast for the Sacramento Valley. More than 2,200 personnel are battling the Gifford Fire, which grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted Friday along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people. 3 Nearly 1,000 homes and structures across the Los Padres National Forest are at risk from the latest wildfires that are still under investigation as to what caused the latest blaze to hit the state. AP The causes of the fires are under investigation. Flames are racing through a vast, mostly unpopulated region that includes forestland, ranches, large canyon properties and agricultural parcels growing wine grapes and strawberries. The weather service warned of health risks from spreading smoke that could affect much of southwest California. Officials reported four injuries, including a firefighter who was treated for dehydration. Over the weekend, a motorist was hospitalized with burn injuries after getting out of his vehicle and being overrun by flames. And two contract employees assisting firefighters were also hurt when their all-terrain vehicle overturned.
Gizmodo
22 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Grand Canyon ‘Megafire' Explodes in Size and Is Now Creating Its Own Weather
Despite over a month of firefighting efforts, the Dragon Bravo fire experienced a surge of growth this week, doubling in size within just a few days. The northern Arizona 'megafire' is now the largest active blaze in the continental U.S. and the largest of 2025 so far. As of Wednesday, August 6, the Dragon Bravo fire has torched 130,520 acres along the Grand Canyon's North Rim, according to the national wildfire monitoring database InciWeb. This fire sparked to life when lightning struck the area on July 4. National Park Service responders initially tried to manage the Dragon Bravo Fire with a confine-and-contain strategy, but it quickly grew out of control. This week, dry heat and gusty winds stoked another surge of rapid growth, challenging crews already struggling to control the blaze across rough terrain. According to a Wednesday InciWeb update, they have only managed to contain 13% of the fire. The fire was pushing north on Tuesday, August 5, and crews deployed ground and air resources to minimize the growth of this new front. This strategy should drive the inferno into territory where it will quickly run out of fuel, according to the InciWeb update, but high heat and low humidity will continue to stoke the flames through Friday. To make matters worse, the fire is burning so hot that it's generating weather that could help it spread more rapidly. On Thursday, July 31, fire information officer Lisa Jennings told the Associated Press that towering 'pyrocumulus' clouds had been hanging over the inferno for a week straight. These enormous, anvil-shaped convection clouds form when air over the fire becomes superheated and rises in a large smoke column. If there is sufficient water vapor in the atmosphere and the updraft intensifies, pyrocumulous clouds can develop into pyrocumulonimbus clouds, according to the Royal Meteorological Society. These clouds may produce intense localized rain, which would help to dampen the fire, or create downdrafts that spread embers far and wide. They can also generate dangerous fire tornadoes. The Dragon Bravo fire has already destroyed dozens of structures—including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge—triggered evacuations, and forced officials to close the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 season, according to the National Park Service. There have been no reports of fatalities or damages. Dragon Bravo is currently one of four large, active wildfires in Arizona and one of 42 burning across the U.S., the National Interagency Fire Center reported Wednesday. With wildfire season in full swing, federal agencies that fight wildfires are navigating devastating staff cuts. Under the Trump administration, the Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent workforce, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. A recent ProPublica investigation found that over one-fourth of the Forest Service's firefighting jobs were vacant as of July 17. The agency has publicly maintained that it has sufficient staff and resources to handle what's already shaping up to be an active season, but in July, more than a dozen active and retired Forest Service employees told Reuters the agency was struggling to fill vacancies. Climate change is exacerbating the extreme weather conditions fueling the relentless Dragon Bravo fire, worsening wildfire activity on a global scale. This inferno underscores the risks of weakening U.S. firefighting capacity while failing to reduce planet-warming emissions. At this rate, severe, unmanageable fires like Dragon Bravo are quickly becoming the new norm.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
1 Dead, Thousands Evacuated as Firefighters Battle Raging Wildfire: 'A Catastrophe of Unprecedented Scale'
Officials reportedly said this is the largest wildfire to burn in the area in 80 yearsNEED TO KNOW One person has died after another wildfire tore through southern France, forcing thousands of people to evacuate Two other people reportedly have been hospitalized, including one person who is in critical condition This new wildfire comes about a month after another blaze near Pennes-Mirabeau left more than 100 people injuredOne person is dead and thousands of people have been evacuated as a wildfire rages in southern France. The fire has burned more than 13,000 hectares (50 square miles) of land since it began near the village of La Ribaute in the Aude region on Tuesday, Aug. 5, according to the BBC and The Guardian. As of Wednesday, Aug. 6, the blaze is considered France's biggest wildfire in almost 80 years, according to Reuters. Officials have said one person has died in the village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse. She has been described by the BBC as an elderly woman. Two other people have been hospitalized, including one person who is in critical condition. Several firefighters have been injured as well, according to the reports. All residents in the village of Jonquières have been evacuated, Mayor Jacques Piraux said, per The Guardian. Campgrounds in surrounding areas have been evacuated as well. In a post on X, President Emmanuel Macron urged residents to follow evacuation orders and exercise 'the utmost caution' near the blaze. At least 25 homes have been damaged by the fire, according to the BBC and Reuters. France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou described the fire as 'a catastrophe of unprecedented scale.' He is expected to visit the area on Wednesday, Aug. 6. Meanwhile, Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude area, said the fire 'is advancing in an area where all the conditions are ripe for it to progress,' according to the BBC. She also said the blaze "will keep us busy for several days,' describing it as 'a long-term operation.' This new wildfire comes about a month after a separate wildfire in southern France left more than 100 people injured after burning near Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. France's interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said at the time that over 400 people were "ordered to evacuate" their homes due to the blaze, while another "14,000 were told to stay home." Read the original article on People
