While Gifford Fire flames have shifted north, residents in the Cuyama Valley are now dealing with damaged property, power outages and a closed highway, with no clear sense of when full access or support might return.

The wildfire has burned more than 96,000 acres since starting a week ago.

“It’s pretty much a mess,” said Alisha Taff, a local farmer who owns Rock Front Ranch in the Cuyama Valley.

The fire started west of her ranch and was pushed onto her land by strong wind, burning through rows of fruit trees and damaging key systems she depends on to operate.

“We lost a lot of infrastructure in terms of irrigation,” Taff said. “We lost trees. Those trees [now] need to be cut down. We lost fencing.”

Taff also lost all of her bees, a major blow to her business, Rockfront Ranch Honey, which depends on native chaparral plants in the surrounding hills and mountains.

“Myself and a lot of other people I know, we keep honeybees, and the honeybees forage on the native plants in the mountains and the hills,” she said. “Those plants are now all gone, so that local honey is going to be more difficult to come by. You know, that pristine honey and those chaparral plants, they won’t come back for three to five years, and that’s only if we get rain.”

‘No Easy Way Out’

Located in one of the most remote stretches of Santa Barbara County, the Cuyama Valley has few access points in or out. The Gifford Fire forced the closure of Highway 166 between Santa Maria and New Cuyama, severing the main route west and isolating residents from routine travel and essential services.

“To get to the coast now, it’s a three-hour detour,” said Jack Forinash, executive director of Blue Sky Center. “People are having to cancel appointments. They’re asking, ‘How do I get my prescriptions?’ There’s just no easy way out.”

Taff said she had to drive 3 miles from her ranch just to get enough cell signal to check in with family and respond to emails. With no internet or power, even basic communication has been difficult.

“You could leave, but you can’t come back,” she said.

Connecting the Community

Blue Sky Center, a nonprofit organization focused on rural development and community resilience in the Cuyama Valley, operates from the site of a former Richfield Oil Co. headquarters, which includes a public-use airstrip designated L88. 

That airstrip is now serving as a helibase under a land-use agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, supporting hundreds of personnel and daily helicopter flights.

“We’ve had hundreds of people coming in and out each day,” Forinash said. “Helicopters are constantly flying out to keep the fire away.”

However, firefighting support is only part of the center’s role. In 2022, Santa Barbara County designated Blue Sky as a pilot resiliency hub, equipping it with emergency supplies and training to help the Cuyama Valley stay informed and connected during disasters.

“We’re kind of that middleman between the government and the community,” Forinash said.

He explained that the center helps gather and share information, coordinate emergency needs and serve as a trusted point of contact during crises, especially when power or internet service is disrupted.

Internet access in the region is spotty at best. Forinash said service is typically limited to one cell provider and unreliable satellite connections, with even backup systems such as Starlink occasionally failing.

Even when residents are able to get reception, Watch Duty, a popular fire tracking app, updates only twice a day for the area. Forinash said that leaves organizations such as Blue Sky Center to fill the information gaps.

“We had 52 local residents show up to a community meeting this week — that’s a big turnout for us,” Forinash said. “People really want to know what’s going on, and that’s hard when there’s no consistent communication.”

Strength in Community

With damage already done and the fire still burning nearby, Taff said she is focused on what matters most and how to move forward.

“I have so much gratitude for my gophers,” said Taff, whose water tanks were spared after the animals churned up the dirt around them, clearing away burnable grass. “I still have my house. I still have my animals. That’s what matters.”

Taff said support from neighbors and strangers alike has kept her grounded in gratitude.

“People I’ve never met have reached out offering to help clean up my ranch,” she said. “There’s not always enough immediate resources, so your community steps in. That’s been the most amazing part.”

For Forinash, the path forward includes pushing for long-term investment in infrastructure and digital access, such as California’s Broadband for All initiative.

He said Cuyama is not looking for pity but for support that matches the community’s energy and effort.

“This is not some slow, podunk place,” Forinash said. “We move deliberately forward. We don’t have resources to waste, so we make sure everyone in the community moves with us.”

He described the valley as vibrant and resilient, full of people who care deeply about where they live.

“We’re not leading with needs. We’re leading with opportunities,” Forinash said. “We just want to make sure we’re not forgotten.”

Santa Barbara County said the Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center, an information and evacuation center for the area, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed on weekends.

People who have been affected by the fire can report damage to their homes, businesses or livestock to the county on the ReadySBC.org website. The assessment form helps county officials understand the scope of the damage, and it is not an application for financial assistance.

About 1,500 structures are threatened by the Gifford Fire, and none had officially been reported damaged or destroyed as of Thursday. Incident commander Dustan Mueller said damage inspectors arrived this week and will verify preliminary reports of damage.