A wildfire has now burned nearly 40,000 acres of land on the Central Coast, and closed a major highway.
The Gifford Fire started Friday afternoon about 30 miles east of Santa Maria, along Highway 166. Firefighters say it started as a series of spot fires which merged into one blaze in the Gifford Road area. It’s closed Highway 166 between Santa Maria and New Cuyama.
The fire is burning on both sides of Highway 166, in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. The area is sparsely populated, but around 200 people have been evacuated.
Three people have been injured. One person suffered burns, and two were injured in an off road vehicle accident related to the firefighting efforts.
Firefighters are making extensive use of helicopters and air tankers, because the fire is burning in steep and rugged terrain. The blaze is 5% contained.
