A mega-fire on California’s Central Coast has become the state’s largest of 2025 — and it’s projected to keep growing.
The Gifford Fire, which ignited Aug. 1, is estimated to have engulfed over 104,000 acres and is 21% contained, according to an Aug. 9 federal fire update. It’s burning in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest that has prompted road closures and evacuations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, located about 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
The Gifford Fire can be considered a mega-fire, a designation for wildfires over 100,000 acres, according to the U.S. Interagency Fire Center. Mark Ruggiero, a spokesperson for the federal response to the fire, said the western United States has seen many fires over 100,000 acres in recent decades.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Three civilians and four firefighters have been injured in the ongoing blaze.
The fire is already California’s largest of 2025. Dry and hot conditions, with temperatures climbing above 100 degrees, in mountainous terrain make containing the blaze difficult for thousands of firefighters responding to the area, according to Ruggiero. Canyon winds are also expected to reach gusts of around 20 mph.
