The Gifford fire in central California has burned more than 100,000 acres as of Friday, becoming the state’s largest blaze of the year so far.
Newsweek has contacted the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for further comment via an email sent outside regular business hours.
Why It Matters
The fire is threatening thousands of homes and other structures near the Los Padres National Forest and has prompted widespread evacuation orders in the Golden State.
Five firefighters and three civilians had been injured as of Friday afternoon, according to a Friday update from CAL FIRE.
What To Know
The Gifford fire, which broke out on August 1 along Highway 166, has burned more than 104,000 acres of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, according to CAL FIRE. It was 21 percent contained as of Friday evening.
The fire “is burning actively on both sides of the highway with more active spread on the south side,” CAL FIRE said in a situation summary on Friday. At least 3,600 personnel are battling the blaze.
It erupted from multiple smaller fires between Santa Maria and Bakersfield.
It has now surpassed the Madre Fire, which erupted last month in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, and burned more than 80,000 acres before it was contained.
Evacuation orders and warnings are in effect for multiple zones in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Full details on the orders and warnings can be found on the CAL FIRE website.
Meanwhile, the Canyon fire, which ignited on Thursday afternoon, has burned more than 5,000 acres in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. It was 29 percent contained as of Friday evening.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Forest Service-Los Padres National Forest said in an update on Friday evening update that “due to erratic fire behavior, residents should watch for changing conditions in their area.”
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services wrote on X on Friday: “As firefighters battle the #CanyonFire and #GiffordFire, it’s important to stay alert NOW and throughout fire season. If told to evacuate, don’t wait.”
CAL FIRE wrote on X on Friday: “California is under a heat wave, bringing hot, dry, and windy conditions, making wildfires more likely to occur and to spread fast. When temps soar, even a tiny spark can ignite disaster.”
The post added that Californians can protect themselves, their homes and their communities by securing trailer chains to avoid sparks on the road, avoiding the use of spark-producing equipment, not parking or driving over dry grass and avoiding open flame activities like grilling campfires.
What Happens Next?
The cause of the fires remain under investigation.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Forest Service-Los Padres National Forest wrote in its update on Friday that hot and dry conditions will continue across the area through early next week.
“Temperatures will climb into the 90s to around 100 degrees while humidity drops into the teens and single digits,” it wrote. “With typical diurnal winds anticipated, elevated fire weather conditions can be expected into early next week.”
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