A wildfire burning in a remote area of the Central Coast continues to mushroom in size, burning more than 25,000 acres of land in less than 24 hours.
The Gifford fire start as a series of spot fires along Highway 166 about 30 miles east of Santa Maria Friday afternoon. The small blazes merged into one big fire.
Highway 166 has been closed between Santa Maria and New Cuyama. The blaze straddles the Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo County line.
The area is sparsely populated, but it has prompted some evacuations in the rural area.
Containment is at 5% Saturday afternoon.
