‘Extreme fire behavior’ possible as heat wave hits SLO County this week
A huge swath of San Luis Obispo County — including the Gifford Fire burn area — will be under a red flag warning later this week as a heat wave is expected to hit California.
According to a San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services post on X on Tuesday, the warning will go into effect for the Cuyama Valley and San Luis Obispo County mountains on Thursday at 9 a.m. and last through Saturday evening.
A red flag warning is issued by the National Weather Service for weather events that may result in extreme fire behavior.
According to the Weather Service, it expects an “unseasonably hot and unstable air mass capable of producing extreme fire behavior from vertical plume growth” this week as temperatures could hit between 95 and 105 degrees across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
“If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior and rapid fire growth, which could threaten life and property,” the agency warned.
There is also a “less than 10% chance of isolated thunderstorms” from Friday through the weekend, the Weather Service said.
“Any accompanying lightning strikes will be capable of starting new fires on the peripheries of rain cores,” it said.
People were urged to use extreme caution with “anything that can spark a wildfire,” and residents near the impacted areas were told to be prepared to evacuate if a wildfire breaks out.
What’s in weather forecast for SLO County?
The North County will likely see some of the hottest temps in the county, with Paso Robles expected to peak at 107 degrees on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
A high of 106 is expected for Friday, before dropping to 101 on Saturday, according to the forecast.
San Luis Obispo, meanwhile, won’t likely crack the 100-degree mark, topping out at 96 degrees on Thursday. Temperatures will then stay in the low 90s for the city through Saturday with the forecast calling for sunny skies.
Though much of inland San Luis Obispo County will see sweltering temperatures through the latter half of the week, coastal areas will be much cooler.
Pismo Beach is expected to hit a high of 71 degrees on Thursday, with some patchy fog in the morning and then mostly sunny skies for the rest of the day. That’s followed by a high of 68 on Friday and 64 on Saturday, which are both expected to be sunny days along the coast.
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 2:23 PM.
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