Massive central California wildfire threatens more than 800 structures
SANTA MARIA, Calif.—More than 870 structures are threatened by a massive wildfire in central California that left at least three people injured as it burned through Los Padres National Forest.
The Gifford Fire scorched more than 131 square miles of coastal Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with 7% containment, according to a U.S. Forest Service update.
More than 1,900 personnel were battling the blaze that grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted Aug. 1 along State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield. The causes of the fires are under investigation.
The blaze is burning through steep terrain and creating a huge smoke column, said Capt. Scott Safechuck, a spokesperson with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
“A lot of it’s in really inaccessible areas where even bulldozers can’t even get into,” Safechuck said, adding that aircraft is being added to the firefight.
The smoke will affect parts of Southwest California, the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office said, noting that wildfire smoke is a health risk. Smoke was expected to move toward the south and east.
The blaze threatened about 872 structures and forced the closure of the highway in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people in Santa Barbara County.
About 65 miles northwest of Santa Barbara and 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, the hilly agricultural region is dotted by sprawling California live oaks and Sycamore trees and is known for its strawberry fields and wine industry.
Firefighters made great progress on the west, north and east flanks of the fire and significant efforts were made to ensure structure protection on the south end, officials said in an update Aug. 4.
France’s biggest wildfire of the summer has eclipsed the size of Paris
PARIS—France’s biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly Aug. 6 in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than Paris.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou deplored a “disaster on an unprecedented scale” in the region. Over 2,100 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the blaze that broke out August 5 in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries.
The fire, which has burned 32,000 acres, remained “very active” on Aug. 6, the local administration said in a statement. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the military will reinforce efforts starting from Aug. 7, with several dozens of soldiers to be deployed.
Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, said all residents have been evacuated.
“It’s a scene of sadness and desolation,” he told broadcaster BFM TV after he visited Aug. 6. “It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village has burned down. It’s hellish.”
Residents and tourists in nearby areas were requested to remain in their homes unless told to evacuate. Two campsites were evacuated as a precaution.
The area’s economy is relying on winery and tourism and “both sectors are affected,” he stressed.
Bayrou said an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
The environment ministry said the Aude region has been experiencing a drought this month, with water use restrictions in place. Lack of rainfall in recent months “played a major role in the spreading of the fire, since the vegetation is very dry,” the statement said.
Compiled from Associated Press reports