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Central Coast wildfire tops the 100,000-acre burned mark

The Gifford Fire sending up three heads of smoke Friday afternoon.
Scott Safechuck
/
Santa Barbara County Fire Department
The Gifford Fire sending up three heads of smoke Friday afternoon.

The Gifford Fire is at 15% containment as of Friday afternoon.

A week after starting, a massive wildfire on the Central Coast has burned more than 100,000 acres.

As of Friday afternoon, the Gifford Fire has burned 104,000 acres, with 15% containment.

The fire began on August 1 off of Highway 166, about 15 miles northeast of Santa Maria. It’s burning in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

At least 2,900 structures are considered to be at risk, but so far, there’s no word of any buildings being lost.

The fire has pushed to the northwest during the last few days, leading to a new wave of evacuation orders and watches.

Highway 166 has been closed between Santa Maria and New Cuyama for over a week. Parts of the highway suffered damage.

More than 3,400 people are now assisting with the firefight.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.