California’s Gifford Fire surpassed 100 square miles in its third day, forcing new evacuation orders in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
At the end of Sunday, Aug. 3, the wildfire was mapped at 65,061 acres (101 square miles) — an increase of more than 25,000 acres for the day, said fire managers for the U.S. Forest Service. Gifford is the second-biggest California wildfire this year, having surpassed Palisades on Saturday.
Evacuation orders covered almost 600 square miles. Highway 166 was closed between Highway 101 and New Cuyama.
The map above shows the evacuation area in red and the approximate fire perimeter as a black line. Shown as a gray tone is the perimeter of last month’s Madre Fire, the biggest California wildfire this season, at 80,779 acres.
Gifford was reported around 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria. The cause is under investigation, the Forest Service report said.
The team of more than 1,000 firefighters has been contending with hot and dry weather as well as the rugged terrain. Three people have been reported injured: a civilian who was burned, and two contractors who were injured in an off-road utility vehicle’s rollover.
For updates and details of the evacuation, including warning areas, see the Genasys Protect map for Santa Barbara County or the San Luis Obispo County emergency site.
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