Smoke and ash from the Gifford Fire will continue to affect air quality in Santa Barbara County this week.
The Air Pollution Control District’s three-day forecast is for moderate conditions countywide, which means sensitive groups – like children and seniors – should avoid strenuous activities outside.
Winds will push more smoke southeast toward Santa Barbara and Ventura, APCD spokesperson Lyz Bantilan said.
The Gifford Fire, which started Friday afternoon, had burned more than 65,000 acres as of Monday afternoon and it was producing significant amounts of smoke.
The worst air quality recordings over the weekend were in the Cuyama area, which is the community closest to the fire, Bantilan said. APCD and PurpleAir monitoring showed that the highest readings have been in the evenings so far, although that doesn’t mean the trend will continue.
Cuyama monitoring stations have shown a range of good to unhealthy air quality since the Gifford Fire started; other stations in the county have stayed in the good-to-moderate range, according to APCD.
APCD and Public Health officials advise residents to frequently check air quality:
- AirNow Fire and Smoke Map including neighborhood-level monitoring station data and smoke plume
- Today’s Air Quality & Forecasts from Santa Barbara County APCD
“If you’re seeing or smelling smoke or ash, use that as an alarm bell” to check air quality, Bantilan said.
People who are especially sensitive to smoke can talk to their doctors to come up with a wildfire smoke plan for this incident and others in the future, APCD recommends.
Animals are also affected by air quality, so pet owners can talk to their veterinarians about pet health during smoky conditions.
Bantilan said N95 masks are a great tool, but wearing one “is not an excuse to be outside if you don’t have to be outside” during unhealthy air quality conditions.
Below, the National Weather Service issued a smoke projection for the Gifford Fire.
Here's a projection for the smoke from the #GiffordFire 🔥in San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara Counties through tomorrow night. Smoke will generally move towards the south and east. pic.twitter.com/fzb05X833b
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) August 4, 2025
More Fire-Related Resources From APCD
An air quality alert is in effect for the Cuyama Valley and an air quality watch is in effect for the rest of Santa Barbara County as of Monday.
- Ash cleanup tips: https://www.ourair.org/ash-cleanup/
- Creating clean air rooms: https://www.ourair.org/clean-air-rooms/
- Sign up for air quality alerts: https://www.ourair.org/subscribe/
Direct Relief Distributing Free N95 Masks
Direct Relief will distribute N95 masks in Buellton Tuesday afternoon and have masks available for pickup in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Montecito.
The Buellton site will be staffed 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Hitching Post 2 restaurant, 406 E Highway 246.
More pickup locations are available:
Goleta: Direct Relief Headquarters at 6100 Wallace Becknell Road.
Santa Barbara: Central Library at 40 E Anapamu St. and Eastside Library at 1102 E Montecito St.
Montecito: Library branch at 1469 East Valley Road