Live updates: Evacuation order issued for Lopez Lake as Gifford Fire spreads
The Gifford Fire continued to grow Thursday, approaching 100,000 acres as its western flank moved from remote wildlands into more populated areas in San Luis Obispo County.
The expansion led to new evacuation orders and road closures as the fire moves toward Arroyo Grande and Lopez Lake.
Containment sat at 15% as of Thursday morning, according to the Los Padres report.
Hot and dry weather was expected Thursday, with high temperatures ranging between 92 and 104 degrees for the areas impacted by the fire, according to the report. Humidity looked to fall between 8-20%, and westerly wind gusts between 15 to 20 mph were expected Thursday afternoon.
SLO County ranchers prepare as Gifford Fire grows
A distant plume of smoke curled into the sky while Cara Craighead packed up to evacuate from her home in rural Arroyo Grande.
“This is the closest I’ve ever had a fire out here,” she said. “It’s a little too close for comfort.”
She and others living in rural Arroyo Grande spent much of Thursday either preparing to evacuate or keeping a close eye on the smoke over the horizon as they pondered whether to shelter in place as the Gifford Fire crept closer and closer to their properties.
Read more about their experiences here: As Gifford Fire nears, SLO County ranchers watch and wait. ‘A crazy, crazy ride’
Evacuation order issued for Lopez Lake along with more warnings
Update 4:35 p.m.:
The Office of Emergency Services issued a new group of evacuation orders and warnings, including the Lopez Lake Recreation Area.
Evacuation orders have been expanded to include zones LPF-009, LPF-010, LPF-012, SLC-259 and SLC-260.
SLC-259 includes the eastern side of Lopez Lake where the campground and Mustang Water Slides are located.
“All current visitors must evacuate the campground immediately in a safe and orderly manner,” a post on the county parks page said. “Public access to Lopez Lake is now closed until further notice.”
Authorities were working to get everyone off the lake and said about 25 trailers were still in the process of packing up at the campgrounds, according to emergency radio traffic.
Evacuation warnings also have been issued for LPF-007, LPF-008, SLC-193, SLC-221, SLC-222, SLC-223, SLC-238, SLC-258, SLC-293, SLC-294, SLC-295 and SLC-194.
That covers areas south and east of Santa Margarita Lake; north, south and west of Lopez Lake; and east of Orcutt.
Evacuation center opens at Arroyo Grande High School
Update, 3:30 p.m.
Arroyo Grande High School is now an evacuation center for those impacted by the Gifford Fire as it spreads toward more populated areas of SLO County.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services, the Red Cross is stationed at the high school to help evacuees and their household pets.
The SLO County Animal Services Shelter on Oklahoma Avenue in San Luis Obispo was also offering assistance for those with smaller pets, while the Elks Rodeo Grounds in Santa Maria was offering help for those with large animals, the agency shared on X.
Those with questions were encouraged to call 805-543-2444.
Fire has now burned more than 98,000 acres
Update, 3:15 p.m.
The Gifford Fire has now burned a total of 98,396 acres, according to the latest aircraft mapping on Thursday afternoon.
Public meetings planned for people impacted by Gifford Fire
Update, 2 p.m.:
Two public meetings were scheduled Thursday night to help inform the community about the Gifford Fire.
One was scheduled for 6 p.m. at Santa Barbara County Fire Station 23, 5003 Depot St. in Santa Maria. That meeting was also slated to be broadcast on Youtube and Facebook.
Another public meeting was originally being planned for the Huasna area Thursday night, but after much of the area was put under an evacuation warning, it was moved further into Arroyo Grande city proper.
According to ReadySLO.org, the meeting was expected to be held at the Five Cities Fire Authority office at 140 Traffic Way in Arroyo Grande at 7 p.m.
According to county Supervisor Jimmy Paulding, a second community meeting was also tentatively planned for Friday at 7 p.m. at Branch Elementary School.
Evacuations ordered in Huasna area
Update, 1:20 p.m.:
As of early afternoon, Hi Mountain Road and Huasna Road at Huasna Townsite were under mandatory evacuation orders, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Additionally, the CHP was restricting non-essential traffic on Huasna Road at School Road, the agency said in a post on X.
The SLO County Office of Emergency Services also shared the closures on X.
Highway 166 between Highway 101 and Highway 33 remained closed due to the fire.
Lopez Lake cancels camping reservations
Update, 12:45 p.m.:
Soon after the evacuation warning was issued for the Lopez Lake Recreation Area, the county’s Parks and Recreation department said it was canceling all camping reservations at the lake from Thursday to Aug. 21.
Full refunds were expected to be issued automatically, the department said in a post on Facebook.
Though day use access will remain open, no check-ins will be permitted at the lake during the evacuation warning, the department said.
Current campers were told they could choose to say, but if they decided to leave early, they could request a refund for the unused portions of their reservations at the front office.
“Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this emergency,” the department said. “Your safety is our top priority, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Original story:
The fast-moving Gifford Fire forced new evacuations Thursday morning as it pushed west toward more populated areas east of Arroyo Grande, including the Lopez Lake area.
The wildfire — the largest California has seen this year — has now burned more than 96,000 acres in rural San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
That’s according to an update from Los Padres National Forest on Thursday morning.
“We’ve had really hot, and really dry conditions,” fire behavior analyst Kevin Montoya said during a briefing Thursday. “That’s caused our fuels — the grass and the live fuels that are out there — to being really receptive to fire.”
Overnight, 30 mph winds pushed the pushed the flames west toward the Huasna and Willis Ranch areas of SLO County, according to the report, which was shared by the agency on X.
On Thursday morning, crews urged residents along Saucelito Creek Road — including Saucelito Canyon Vineyard & Winery — to evacuate as flames moved toward the area, according to emergency radio traffic. Crews were also notifying residents along Hi Mountain Road.
Many were declining to leave, and firefighters advised them to shelter in place.
The active spread between Pine Ridge and Haystack Canyon prompted new evacuation orders east of Lopez Lake.
“All residents and any campers or recreating members of the public should be prepared to leave if ordered,” the county’s Office of Emergency Services said on X.
The zones under evacuation orders as of Thursday morning included: LPF-011, LPF-013, LPF-014, LPF-015, LPF-016, LPF-017, LPF-018, LPF-019, SLC-225, SLC-239, SLC-240, SLC-261, SLC-262, SLC-263, SLC-264, SLC-297, SLC-298, SLC-311, SLC-334, SLC-335, SLC-336 and SLC-337.
New evacuation warnings were also issued for surrounding areas, such as SLC-259, which includes the Lopez Lake Recreation Area, according to the SLO County Office of Emergency Services.
Zones under evacuation warnings as of Thursday morning included: LPF-002, LPF-003, LPF-009, LPF-010, LPF-012, SLC-195, SLC-196, SLC-197, SLC-224, SLC-226, SLC-259, SLC-260, SLC-296, SLC-310, SLC-312 and SLC-333.
While the west side of the fire continued to grow, firefighters did gain some ground in the south.
According to a video update from Operations Section Chief Don Fregulia, the fire reached containment in the Pine Canyon region on the south end of the blaze.
“That means we have the fire contained in that area,” Fregulia said, gesturing to the fire map. “Doesn’t mean that we have it controlled, doesn’t mean that it’s out, it just means that we have a reasonable probability of holding on to that fire right there.”
Public meetings planned for people impacted by Gifford Fire
Containment sat at 15% as of Thursday morning, according to the Los Padres report.
Hot and dry weather was expected Thursday, with high temperatures ranging between 92 and 104 degrees for the areas impacted by the fire, according to the report. Humidity looked to fall between 8-20%, and westerly wind gusts between 15 to 20 mph were expected Thursday afternoon.
Two public meetings were scheduled Thursday night to help inform the community about the Gifford Fire, the report said.
One was scheduled for 6 p.m. at Santa Barbara County Fire Station 23, 5003 Depot St. in Santa Maria. That meeting was also slated to be broadcast on Youtube and Facebook.
Another public meeting was being planned for the Huasna area Thursday night.
According to ReadySLO.org, the meeting will be held at the Loomis Family Barn at 8451 Huasna Road in Arroyo Grande at 7 p.m.
An overview of the current fire situation and planned activities will be provided.
This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 10:55 AM.
.JPG)