As per reports, the escalating wildfire in the Los Padres National Forest, central California, now threatens around 800 strctures on Tuesday (05 August).

• The wildfire, named the Gifford Fire, reportedly burns on 334 square kilometres of coastal Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, at 7 per cent containment.
• AS per investigations, the fire started near State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield; however, the cause of the fire at the time of the reporting is unknown.
• The wildfire prompted the closure of SR 166 in both directions east of Santa Maria.
• The National Weather Service alerts citizens in the affected southwestern California about the health risks posed by the air’s wildfire smoke contamination.