Fire crews have successfully halted the forward progress of the Grade Fire, which ignited along the Cuesta Grade on Wednesday afternoon. As of 6:18 p.m., CAL FIRE reported that the blaze has been contained to a revised 33 acres and is currently 27% contained.
The fire, which broke out around 1:45 p.m., began when a vehicle fire on Highway 101 spread to the adjacent hillside. The blaze quickly escalated, prompting an aggressive response from local firefighting teams, including aerial support, as the flames moved uphill. At the height of the incident, officials expressed concern that the fire could grow to as large as 100 acres due to the terrain and environmental conditions.
The rapid escalation of the fire led to significant public safety measures earlier in the day. Shortly before 3:00 p.m., mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Zone LPF-004. The affected area encompassed land north of Mount Lowe Road, east of Highway 101, south of Forest Route 29S04, and west of Burrito Creek Road. Residents and visitors in that area were urged to leave immediately as emergency personnel established perimeters.
By late afternoon, the situation began to stabilize. At 4:29 p.m., emergency management officials lifted the mandatory evacuation order for Zone LPF-004, allowing displaced individuals to begin the process of returning home. While the immediate threat to life and property has subsided, authorities continue to advise the public to remain vigilant as crews work to increase containment lines.
Traffic impacts on Highway 101 were severe throughout the afternoon. At the peak of the response, two northbound lanes were closed, leading to significant congestion as commuters navigated the Cuesta Grade. Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) worked to manage the bottleneck; as of the most recent reports, the northbound side of the highway remains reduced to one lane to accommodate fire equipment and recovery efforts.
“Please avoid the grade if possible,” CAL FIRE SLO tweeted during the height of the response, citing the need for emergency vehicles to have clear access to the hillside.
While the fire’s growth has been stopped, fire crews will remain on-site through the evening and into tomorrow to monitor for hotspots and mop up the perimeter. There have been no reports of injuries to residents or fire personnel at this time, and the cause of the initial vehicle fire remains under investigation.
Drivers are encouraged to monitor ReadySLO.org and local news outlets for further updates regarding Highway 101 road conditions and any additional changes to the status of the incident.
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