All Gifford Fire evacuation orders lifted in SLO County
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- Evacuation orders lifted as Gifford Fire reaches 95% containment in SLO County.
- Residents return home but must stay alert for road hazards and active crews.
- Many forest recreation sites remain closed as recovery and repairs continue.
As the Gifford Fire approaches full containment, all evacuation orders have been lifted, allowing all residents who left to return to their homes in San Luis Obispo County.
On Sunday night, all zones that were previously under evacuation orders were downgraded to ready-to-go warnings, according to a news release from the SLO County Office of Emergency Services. These include Zones LPF-009, LPF-010, LPF-012 (eastern portion), LPF-013 (western portion), SLC-222, SLC-223, SLC-261 (eastern portion) and SLC-262 (eastern portion).
Residents of these areas are safe to return home, but should stay on high alert and prepared to evacuate again as fire crews continue to work to fully contain the fire near these communities.
All other zones that were under evacuation warnings have been restored to normal residential occupancy status, consisting of LPF-011 (southern portion), LPF-012 (western portion), LPF-013 (eastern portion), LPF-014 (southern portion), LPF-015, LPF-016, LPF-018 (eastern portion), SLC-193, SLC-194, SLC-221, SLC-224, SLC-261 (western portion), SLC-262 (Western portion), according to the release. Residents in these areas are safe to return home.
As residents return home, the emergency services office warned people to drive carefully and be alert for firefighters, emergency personnel and heavy equipment on suppression repair work and still-active portions of the fireline, the release said. Road closures or hazards near the fire perimeter such as fallen trees, hotspots and fire debris may also impact travelers.
“Our priority is to get our residents home, and to ensure the safety of our first responders while they continue to mitigate the damages to the area,” SLO County emergency services director Scotty Jalbert said in the release.
A map with specific details of all the zones can be found at ReadySLO.org/Evacuations.
Gifford Fire containment efforts continue
After burning 131,614 acres of the Los Padres National Forest over the last three weeks, the Gifford Fire continues to hover at 95% containment.
However, some hotspots are still smoldering in the northwestern area of the fire as crews continue mop-up actives to decrease heat sources.
Thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon brought increased winds and lighting, but no precipitation was reported, according to an incident update from the Los Padres National Forest.
Over 2,000 personnel remain assigned to the Gifford Fire, focusing on ongoing suppression, repair, hazard mitigation and long-term recovery operations of the fire-impacted areas and critical utility infrastructure, the county release said.
These mitigation efforts include future debris flow potential, stabilizing fire-impacted slopes, and restoring critical utility infrastructure.
Crews continue building and strengthening fire lines in the northwest portion and address areas that potentially threaten containment lines elsewhere, the incident update said. However, the majority of fire activity now is well within the fire line, as pockets of unburned fuel continue to burn.
Temperatures are expected to cool slightly this week to seasonal averages in the 80s and 90s, though a 10% chance of thunderstorms remains until Tuesday, according to the incident update.
“We understand the public’s desire to return to these lands and to see how things faired, but it isn’t the time for that yet,” Jalbert said in the release. “There are still active crews on the ground, heavy equipment in operation and dangerous post-fire conditions present throughout the area.”
Los Padres forest remains partially closed to the public
Though residential communities have reopened, restrictions on recreation still exist in many areas within the Los Padres National Forest.
Areas open to explore include West Cuesta, Cerro Alto campground, Mt. Pinos, Santa Barbara Front Country trail and locations along Paradise Road, according to the county news release. Other areas including parts of the Santa Lucia and Mt. Pinos Ranger Districts remain closed while repairs and rehabilitation take place until Feb. 28, according to the Los Padres forest.
Additionally, the entirety of the Los Padres National Forest is under a high fire restriction.
This story was originally published August 25, 2025 at 10:53 AM.
