As Gifford Fire nears, SLO County ranchers watch and wait. ‘A crazy, crazy ride’
A distant plume of smoke curled into the sky on Thursday 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.”
The ominous smoke belonged to the Gifford Fire, which at 99,232 acres as of Friday morning was the largest wildfire that has ignited in California this year.
By Friday, after minimal growth overnight, the fire was 15% contained and spreading to the northwest toward Nipomo and Arroyo Grande.
The expansion of the fire prompted new evacuation orders in San Luis Obispo County, including the Lopez Lake Recreation Area and nearby neighborhoods.
Craighead lives near Lopez Lake on Hi Mountain Road, which has one road in and one road out. She decided to evacuate before firefighighting vehicles entered the area.
“The more traffic you have, the less chance you have of getting out,” she said.
On Wednesday night, she watched the fire glowing on a distant hillside while waiting for direction from emergency responders. When the evacuation warning turned into an order at about 8 a.m., she evacuated her four horses, she said.
“It’s been a crazy, crazy ride over the past couple days,” she said.
Meanwhile, about a dozen horses grazed in a pasture down the road, paying no attention to the smoke in the sky.
Unlike Craighead, horse rancher Mindy Smith decided to shelter in place. She sat on her porch with a corgi at her feet. The dog rolled over a handful of times for a pat on the belly.
“We’re just watching the smoke, watching the wind, watching how far it goes,” Smith said of the fire.
She evacuated 15 horses on Thursday morning but kept another 20 on the property — along with eight dogs and a few cats.
Smith said the property is well-prepared for fire. She’s trimmed all the vegetation, and she has a 15,000-gallon water tank equipped with hoses. She also hooked up the horse trailers so she can drive out quickly if needed.
“We’re prepared, but we’re also not freaking out,” she said.
The Tribune met homeowner John Claudy while he drove an ATV up the unpaved portion of Hi Mountain Road. He hadn’t yet decided if he would evacuate.
He belongs to the 40-member Ranchita Estates Homeowners Association, which prepared the community for wildfire, he said. The Homeowners Association recently spent about $100,000 on building fire breaks, clearing trails and assembling a helicopter landing pad in the area, he said.
Because Hi Mountain Road is one way in, one way out, the residents often shelter in place to avoid blocking firefighters from driving equipment into the neighborhood.
“They encourage us to stay put, hunker down,” he said.
Claudy said he will most likely shelter in place, but he hooked up his horse trailer and assembled his important documents just in case he needs to leave.
“While I’m not overly anxious, it pays to be cautious,” he said.
Resources and evacuations as of Friday
No structures have been destroyed by the fire, but 2,912 were threatened as of Friday, according to Cal Fire. Seven people have been injured, including three civilians and four firefighters.
A total of 3,431 personnel were working the fire as of Friday morning, along with 143 engines, 108 dozers and 32 water tenders, according to the Inciweb page for the Gifford Fire.
As of Friday morning, San Luis Obispo County zones under evacuation orders included: LPF-015, LPF-016, LPF-017, LPF-019, SLC-337, SLC-335, SLC-336, LPF-018, LPF-014, SLC-263, LPF-011, LPF-013, SLC-297, SLC-225, SLC-240, SLC-264, SLC-298, SLC-239, SLC-262, SLC-334, SLC-311, SLC-261, LPF-009, LPF-012, SLC-259, SLC-260, SLC-296 and LPF-010.
Evacuation warnings were in place in the following zones as of Friday morning: SLC-333, SLC-310, SLC-312, SLC-224, LPF-002, LPF-003, SLC-195, SLC-196, SLC-197, SLC-226, 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.
This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 5:38 PM.