The Gifford Fire has burned more than 123,000 acres across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties and is 33% contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to fire officials.
Firefighters are focusing efforts on the blaze’s northern edge, near the Garcia Wilderness—an area with no recorded fire history and thick, dry vegetation that officials say is ideal fuel for wildfires.
To slow the fire’s advance, crews have begun a prescribed burn operation—when firefighters light small fires to strategically burn up vegetation ahead of an advancing fire.
“It's a tricky process,” said Mark Ruggiero, a public information officer with the Gifford Fire. “It entails a lot of planning, a lot of resources, a lot of engines, hand crews and dozers out there, and aircraft, and it's dependent on weather, winds, terrain.”
Ruggiero said fire crews won’t know for several days whether the tactic has been effective until flames from the prescribed burn converge with the Gifford Fire later this week.
So far, the fire has destroyed three structures, injured seven people and forced more than 450 residents to evacuate. Crews are also working to hold fire lines near the San Rafael Wilderness in Santa Barbara County, where steep and rugged terrain continues to challenge firefighter access.
Evacuation shelters remain open across both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Residents can find updates and evacuation information at ReadySLO.org and ReadySBC.org.
