US: Gifford Fire Closes Highway 166 in California, Prompting Evacuation Orders

The Gifford Fire, a series of brush fires that broke out along Highway 166 near the Gifford Trailhead, about 30 miles east of Santa Maria on Friday, August 1, burning over 5,000 acres in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County. The blaze forced the closure of the highway and prompted evacuations in parts of the two counties.