Gifford Fire in Dragon Mode – 8/13/2025

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UPDATED 10:30pm, 8/13/2025
Firing operations have been underway on the north end of the Gifford Fire, east of San Luis Obispo, California, in some fashion or another for about 36 hours. This afternoon the fire did what it wanted, with all of that energy, and has pushed over primary firelines in a couple spots. We are headed into cooler weather in the next few days, and it looks likely firefighters are in pretty good shape to catch the spots and slopovers, as it stands, right now.

Here’s what we know right now.
A recon flight at about 9:45pm captured the following fire mapping. The fire has not pushed over the top of high mountain, though there are some areas on the flank between Pozo and Hi Mountain that appear to be outside of the primary control lines. Here is mapping of the north end of the fire at 9:45pm.

View south over Pozo. Black lines are completed dozer lines.
Looking west over Hi Mountain Road and Hi Mountain. Black lines are completed dozer lines.
Looking south over Pozo toward Hi Mountain Road. Black lines are completed dozer lines.

Earlier Post – written around 7pm.

Tonight’s Lookout Livestream (7pm)

Progression of the day’s events

Major firing ops began last night. As of about 2am, there was a fairly complete line of burning underway along most of Hi Mountain Road, on the fire’s NW flank. Here is an infrared map from 2am on the morning of 8/13/2025.

Black lines are dozer lines, blue lines are prepped roads. View is to west over Garcia Wilderness (green lines in foreground). Red is rough fire perimeter. Mapping accuracy is not sufficient to say whether or not the fire was actually over the dozer lines at this point. My guess is that it was NOT. White squigley line is mapping from 3:30pm on 8/12/2025.

Here’s the 12:00 Sentinel imagery from 8/13/2025 – it looks like it was across Hi Mtn Road a little bit as early as noon.

The fire blew up significantly after noon. Here is the fire perimeter at about 4pm.

For all the big smoke and visual drama, the fire is not that far outside of their box, yet. Yellow is 4pm fire perimeter. Black lines are completed dozer lines, purple were planned dozer lines, some of which may be complete by now. Blue are prepped roads.

As we mentioned at the head of this report – burning conditions are expected to moderate significantly overnight. There are still (somewhat) decent odds the firefighters will hold this new growth in the next day or two. The next 6 hours or so will determine the next week’s activity, in a major way.

But for now, the dragon is on the loose. Current view from NW at 18:15.

Summary of Livestream

Zeke Lunder, a wildfire analyst with 30 years of experience, provided an update on the Gifford Fire, a 123,000-acre blaze in California’s Central Coast. The fire, burning for 13 days, is active in the north, with significant fire lines built around the Garcia Wilderness. Recent operations involved firing out a box to contain the fire, which has been mostly successful but faces challenges due to difficult terrain and weather conditions. The fire has crossed a portion of the Pozo Road, a critical point for containment. Lunder also discussed the use of prescribed fire for land management, highlighting its effectiveness in reducing fuel loads and preventing large wildfires.

Fire Progression and Tactics

  • The fire started on Highway 166 and has been burning north and south for 13 days, with the north end being the most active.
  • The fire has been progressing through the Garcia wilderness, with a significant firing operation expected and executed last night.
  • Fire lines were built around the Garcia wilderness to contain the fire, with black lines on the maps indicating completed dozer lines and purple lines planned dozer lines.
  • The fire crossed High Mountain Road and is moving towards Pozo, with the potential for further spread if it breaches the dozer lines.
  • The fire’s behavior is being closely watched, with the potential for it to become well-established in the Santa Lucia wilderness if it crosses the ridge line.

Marine Layer and Fire Behavior

  • The marine layer is discussed as a factor in fire behavior, with high humidity in the marine layer making it difficult for fires to push west into the coastal areas.
  • The 1985 Las Palitas fire is mentioned as an example of a fire that did push into the marine layer, despite initial expectations to the contrary.
  • The current weather forecast shows improving conditions with higher humidity and cooler temperatures, which should help in fire suppression efforts.
  • The lack of other large fires in the state means that resources are available to focus on the Gifford fire, with heavy helicopters and other assets at the ready.

Prescribed Fire and Land Management

  • Zeke discusses the use of prescribed fire as a land management tool, highlighting its effectiveness in removing fuel and reducing fire hazards.
  • The City of Chico is using prescribed fire to manage grasslands and remove weeds like star thistle, with the help of volunteers and local organizations.
  • Prescribed fire is described as a way to normalize the use of fire in land management, making it less intimidating and more accepted by the public.
  • The use of prescribed fire is shown to be effective in reducing the risk of large wildfires by removing fuel and creating fire breaks.

Fire Behavior and Fuel Moisture

  • The energy release component (ERC) is used to measure fuel moisture and flammability, with current conditions showing below-average values.
  • The ERC is used to predict fire behavior, with higher values indicating higher fire danger and lower values indicating lower fire danger.
  • The current conditions are compared to historical data, showing that the fire danger in Northern California is similar to early June or late September, which are typically less active fire seasons.
  • The use of prescribed fire during these periods is encouraged, as it can help reduce fuel loads and prevent large wildfires.

Community Involvement and Training

  • The Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) is mentioned as a way to involve the community in fire management and training.
  • Volunteers from various organizations, including Chico State and the Resource Conservation District, are participating in prescribed burns around Chico.
  • The training provided by the PBA helps volunteers gain fire literacy and competence, making them better equipped to assist during wildfires.
  • The use of prescribed fire is shown to be a cost-effective and efficient way to manage land and reduce fire risk.