A structure protection firefighting crew at the Gifford Fire.
A structure protection firefighting crew at the Gifford Fire. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo

Firefighting efforts continue to ramp up for the Gifford Fire burning in Santa Barbara County. The wildfire had charred more than 80,000 acres as of Tuesday morning.

Incident commanders planned to increase firefighting aircraft and add base camps for easier access to active sides of the incident.

Highway 166 remains closed.

Conditions can change frequently, and affected communities need timely updates to stay safe and make plans.

Here is a Noozhawk guide to finding the latest wildfire updates.

Find Fire Maps and Incident Updates

Depending on where a wildfire burns, different agencies are responsible for managing the incident.

For the Gifford Fire, check the Inciweb incident page for wildfire information. It is updated at least twice daily.

More wildfire information:

Emergency Alerts

Sign up here for emergency alerts from Santa Barbara County. 

Go to ReadySBC.org for evacuation maps, shelter locations, and road closures during emergencies.

Use https://www.readyslo.org for San Luis Obispo County. 

You can register for alerts in more than one community and more than one county. 

AM Radio Stations for Emergency Information

County’s Radio Ready program: Tune your radio to AM 530.

The six stations broadcast from Santa Maria, Sisquoc, Lompoc, Los Alamos and Solvang. 

Montecito Fire Department: Tune your radio to AM 1610.

Safety During Wildfires

Go to ReadySBC.org for evacuation maps, shelter locations, and road closures during emergencies.

Check air quality where you live

Check fire and smoke conditions where you live 

Make a clean air room 

How to pick a protective mask and make a DIY air filter 

Santa Barbara County road closures 

Caltrans Highway Conditions Quickmap

Evacuation shelters and animal shelters 

Evacuation Guide

Ready Set Go: How to prepare for wildfire and evacuation

Packing a go-bag, preparing pets, and giving your home its best chance of surviving a wildfire

Go! Evacuation Guide

Know more routes out in case of road closures or heavy traffic. 

CalFire’s 6 P’s of evacuation: 

  • People & pets
  • Papers, phone numbers & important documents (FEMA’s list of important documents)
  • Prescriptions, vitamins & eyeglasses
  • Pictures & irreplaceable memorabilia
  • Personal computer, hard drive & disks
  • “Plastic” (credit cards, ATM cards) & cash

Wear clothing to cover up and protect yourself when evacuating. 

When to leave: “Do not wait for an evacuation warning or order to leave if you feel threatened by a wildfire,” county emergency officials say. 

“Don’t necessarily wait to go until somebody tells you; that is a decision you make for yourself,” county Fire Chief Mark Hartwig says. 

CalFire: “If fire officials suggest evacuating, it’s best to leave right away. This helps you avoid danger and keeps roads clear for firefighters. In big wildfires, there’s no time for door-to-door warnings, so if you’re told to go, do it fast to stay safe.” 

Guidance if trapped at home, in a car or on foot during a fire

Official Social Media Accounts

Follow fire, law enforcement, emergency management agencies and local news agencies for social media updates during major incidents.

Public agencies:

Local news agencies:

Have Questions? Need Help?

In case of an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

Have questions? Call 2-1-1.

The Santa Barbara County Call Center at the Emergency Operations Center is staffed during major incidents, and can be reached at 1.833.688.5551. The call center was open for the Gifford Fire as of Tuesday.

Are we missing something? Let us know by emailing news@noozhawk.com. 

Noozhawk executive editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.