Nearly 500 Structures at Risk as Gifford Fire Grows to More than 65,000 Acres 

Santa Barbara County’s new Genasys emergency mapping system went into action before its official launch date in response to the Gifford Fire last week, which erupted from four small fires of about 10 acres in size on Friday to more than 65,000 acres on Monday, in part due to a “smoke column ice cap” that blew up on Sunday.

The Gifford Fire is consuming a rural area near the Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo county line to the south of State Route 166, which is closed between the 101 and New Cuyama. About 490 structures are at risk, and 174 people are under evacuation orders, while another 231 are being warned that they may need to soon leave, the Sheriff’s Office reported. The Genasys map system, which was to debut on August 5, takes the uncertainty out of evacuation notices as residents can type in their address to learn whether they should have already left, should get ready to leave, or should open their door to a neighbor in need.

The steep ridges and drainages of the fire zone lie open to winds gusting from the south in the mornings and from the north later in the day, during which temperatures are reaching the mid-80s and low 90s, said Santa Barbara County Fire’s Captain Scott Safechuck. In addition to being fanned to life by every gust of wind, the grasses and heavier vegetation are very dry, the humidity is quite low, and extreme fire behavior has developed.

Safechuck described a video he’d taken of a plume of smoke being pushed upward by the heat and flames, to tower over the haze of smoke blanketing the county, turning the sunlight orange all the way to the ocean. “The whiter, more distinct area at the top is where the plume reaches an altitude where the smoke column develops an ice cap,” said Safechuck, adding that it was a daily danger during 2017’s Thomas Fire. “When that collapses to the ground, it pushes the fire in a lot of directions, which is why we saw the fire go from 39,000 acres to 65,000 acres in a day.”

In the escalating blaze, three people have been injured: one civilian suffered burn injuries, and two contractors were in a UTV (utility terrain vehicle) that flipped over.

The flames have met the burn scar of July’s Madre Fire to the northeast, which will slow Gifford down somewhat. It is headed down drainages to the south for the most part and should avoid the city of New Cuyama along the 166.

A joint command of County Fire and U.S. Forest Service chiefs manage the fire, which was 3 percent contained the morning of August 4. More than 1,000 people are working the fire, including 32 hand crews, 16 dozers, 15 water tenders, helicopters, and air tankers that come when needed, Safechuck said. They are building lines to keep the fire on Sierra Madre Ridge in the Cuyama Valley and away from the Manchaca Wilderness to the north. Structure protection details are working in Schoolhouse and Cottonwood canyons. On the west side of the fire, containment lines are being strengthened from Iron Ox Ranch to the east.

Up-to-date evacuation information is at ReadySBC.org and PrepareSLO.org — or call the Red Cross at (805) 678-3073. Temporary evacuation and information resources are at Benjamin Foxen Elementary School (4949 Foxen Canyon Rd.) and Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center (4689 Hwy 166). For horse and cattle ranches, the Elks Rodeo Grounds in Santa Maria are open to livestock. County Animal Services, which is taking small animals, is sheltering 10 dogs, 30 cats, and 20 hens. Any animal-related questions can be made to (805) 681-4332.

SR 166 is closed between the 101 and Perkins Road in New Cuyama. Non-emergency traffic is restricted east of Tepusquet Road. Gifford Fire road closure information can be found here.