Gifford Fire officials will host a community meeting in Santa Margarita at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 10, to provide an update on the fire situation and answer questions from the public. The meeting will be held at Santa Margarita Elementary School, located at 22070 H Street. The meeting will also be streamed live on the Los Padres National Forest’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
As of Sunday morning, the fire has burned 114,621 acres and is 21% contained.
The Gifford Fire broke out on August 1, along Highway 166 east of Santa Maria, burning on both sides of the highway into San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Fire officials say on the north side, the Gifford Fire is burning in the Garcia Wilderness and near the southern edge of the Machesna Mountain Wilderness, with movement toward the Huasna Valley and Pozo. Much of the terrain in this area is steep and inaccessible, posing a challenge for firefighters trying to contain the fire within the wilderness. Over the past few days, officials say crews have been focused on fortifying control lines along Avenales Ranch Road, the Salinas Riverbed, Hi Mountain Road, Salt Creek and Huasna River.
Good progress to connect control lines continues along the south side of the fire.
The following map shows the progression of the fire since it broke out on August 1:
Nearly 3,000 structures remain threatened by the fire, and evacuation orders and warnings remain in place.
An evacuation shelter that was set up at Arroyo Grande High School will be moved to New Life Community Church, located at 990 James Way in Pismo Beach, as of 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Evacuees can also contact the American Red Cross for assistance at (805) 678-3073.
Residents in San Luis Obispo County can check whether their property is included in evacuations by visiting this link.
For information on evacuation orders and warnings in Santa Barbara County, click here.
For residents who need to evacuate with large animals, the Elks Rodeo Grounds in Santa Maria is open for large animal evacuations. A large animal shelter has been established in northern San Luis Obispo County. Call (805) 781-1404 for information.
The Horse Emergency Evacuation Team can also assist with large animal evacuation. Contact HEET at (805) 466-7457.
From now through February 8, 2026, the Los Padres National Forest is closed for public safety and the protection of natural resources. This closure includes the entire Santa Lucia Ranger District and a portion of the Mount Pinos Ranger District. Click here to view the closure order.
Highway 166 also remains closed between Highway 101 and New Cuyama with no estimated time of reopening.
Other road closures include:
- Huasna Townsite South at Huasna and Huasna East
- Huasna Road restricted to residents and essential traffic only
- Pozo Road at River Road restricted to residents and essential traffic only
- Pozo Road at Santa Margarita Lake Road restricted to residents and essential traffic only
- Lopez Drive at Orcutt Road restricted to residents and essential traffic only
- Lopez Drive at the dam
Officials say 3,935 personnel are currently assigned to the Gifford Fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been released.
