California fires: Crews near Ventura have 'very successful day'
Story highlights
- Thomas Fire grew, but only on one of four sides
- Some evacuation orders are rescinded
Ventura, California (CNN)The
thousands of men and women fighting Southern California's largest
wildfire made progress Friday thanks to weather that allowed more
aircraft to help in the battle.
"(It
was a) very successful day on the fire line," said Mark Brown, an
operations section chief for California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection.
Still, the Thomas Fire grew on a day when it switched from being a wind-driven blaze to a fuel-driven fire.
The
fire found plenty of "very heavy, old fuels," Tim Chavez of Cal Fire
said. The fire increased to 143,000 acres, most of the advance coming on
the north side of the blaze, where flames ravaged mountainsides in the
Los Padres National Forest.
But in
other areas, firefights stymied the flames and mandatory evacuation
orders for Ventura, Santa Paula and some unincorporated areas were
lifted.
The Lilac Fire has consumed more than 4,000 acres after erupting Thursday in San Diego County.
Fire
officials were still being cautious on this fifth day, when winds died
down and more airplanes joined in dropping water on the blaze.
"With
this break in the weather, we've made good progress, but that progress
is limited to those areas that are safe to fly in," said Todd Derum, the
incident commander for Cal Fire.
Brown
said that if the winds grow stronger, the flames could take off again
because of the sheer volume of the fire, which is only 10% contained.
The Thomas Fire and five other blazes have scorched nearly 160,000 acres this week, officials said.
Latest developments
• Federal assistance: President
Donald Trump declared an emergency in the state due to the wildfires
and ordered the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency
Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts in Los Angeles,
Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
• New fire: The Lilac Fire in San Diego County started Thursday and grew to 4,100 acres in a few hours, leading to new evacuation orders. Evacuation centers have been set up in affected areas as the fire moves west toward Oceanside and Camp Pendleton.
• More injuries:
The Lilac Fire has left three people with burn injuries and two
firefighters hurt. One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation, while the
second one had a dislocated shoulder. The latter popped it back into
place and continued working, Schuler said.
• Out of power: At
least 20,000 customers in northern San Diego are without power because
of the Lilac Fire, according to San Diego Gas & Electric.
• School closings: Officials have shut down schools spanning at least 16 districts.
• State declarations: Gov.
Jerry Brown issued an emergency proclamation for Santa Barbara and San
Diego counties. The declarations help free state resources such as the
National Guard to support response efforts. He's also requested federal
assistance to supplement state and local emergency response.
• Fast winds:
Dry air and strong winds are forecast for the region through Sunday,
which may fuel the fires, according to CNN meteorologist Rachel Aissen.
Wind gusts in the region will be 35 to 55 mph through Sunday, which can
fan the fire, Aissen said.
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Creek Fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter battles the blaze in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Antoine Hanna comforts his wife, Tammy, after firefighters save their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires leave an apartment complex leveled in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter sprays water at a burning house in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees burn in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests between fighting fires in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
man prepares to evacuate from his Santa Paula house on December 5. Tens
of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man attempts to catch a horse that got loose during a wildfire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Shrubs burn near a home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
James and Josie Ralstin carry belongings retrieved from their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighters battle to put out a blaze engulfing homes in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire burns along a hillside near Santa Paula on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball wildfire swept through the
exclusive enclave of Bel-Air, California, on Thursday, December 7.
Powerful Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions are fueling wildfires in Southern California in what has been a devastating year for such natural disasters in the state.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm
trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose while
battling a wildfire at Faria State Beach in Ventura on December 7. The
windswept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and
destroyed homes.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighter Patrick Larsen, of San Luis Obispo, battles a wildfire in Ojai on December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita in the early morning hours of December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires surround a hilltop mansion in the wealthy Bel-Air district of Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
"Daddy,
the home is gone," Amanda Lewis tells her family on December 6 after
the Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in
Ventura, a coastal city just north of Los Angeles. The Thomas Fire, the largest of the Southern California blazes, started north of Santa Paula before spreading to Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke rises across Southern California, as seen from the International Space Station on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter makes a water drop on
flames sweeping up a steep canyon wall after the Skirball Fire swept
through Bel-Air on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames from the Thomas Fire burn above a truck on Highway 101 north of Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily, whose Ventura home was destroyed by fire, on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5, as wildfires spread in Southern California.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke billows from a burning house in Los Angeles as the Creek Fire moves through the area December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire spews smoke in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Creek Fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter battles the blaze in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Antoine Hanna comforts his wife, Tammy, after firefighters save their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires leave an apartment complex leveled in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter sprays water at a burning house in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees burn in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests between fighting fires in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
man prepares to evacuate from his Santa Paula house on December 5. Tens
of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man attempts to catch a horse that got loose during a wildfire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Shrubs burn near a home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
James and Josie Ralstin carry belongings retrieved from their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighters battle to put out a blaze engulfing homes in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire burns along a hillside near Santa Paula on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball wildfire swept through the
exclusive enclave of Bel-Air, California, on Thursday, December 7.
Powerful Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions are fueling wildfires in Southern California in what has been a devastating year for such natural disasters in the state.
Hide Caption
1 of 26
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm
trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose while
battling a wildfire at Faria State Beach in Ventura on December 7. The
windswept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and
destroyed homes.
Hide Caption
2 of 26
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighter Patrick Larsen, of San Luis Obispo, battles a wildfire in Ojai on December 7.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita in the early morning hours of December 7.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires surround a hilltop mansion in the wealthy Bel-Air district of Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 6.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
"Daddy,
the home is gone," Amanda Lewis tells her family on December 6 after
the Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in
Ventura, a coastal city just north of Los Angeles. The Thomas Fire, the largest of the Southern California blazes, started north of Santa Paula before spreading to Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke rises across Southern California, as seen from the International Space Station on December 6.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter makes a water drop on
flames sweeping up a steep canyon wall after the Skirball Fire swept
through Bel-Air on December 6.
Hide Caption
8 of 26
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames from the Thomas Fire burn above a truck on Highway 101 north of Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily, whose Ventura home was destroyed by fire, on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5, as wildfires spread in Southern California.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke billows from a burning house in Los Angeles as the Creek Fire moves through the area December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire spews smoke in Ventura on December 5.
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Some residents try to go home
The
fires have forced 190,000 people out of their homes, some with nothing
but their pets and a few mementos. Some tried to go home Friday.
Some
residents of the Sylmar neighborhood, whose lives were uprooted by the
Creek Fire, tried to return to their neighborhood Friday morning but
were met by police. Fire crews were still doing damage assessment and
putting out spot fires, CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS reported.
People waited for hours, hoping to get back into one neighborhood.
"I'm mad. I just want to get home," one woman said with a frustrated laugh. "I'm tired of staying in a hotel."
She was hoping hers was not one of the more than 30 homes destroyed by the Creek Fire.
Animals in danger
The Ojai Raptor Center,
a wildlife rehabilitation facility north of Ventura that specializes in
birds of prey, released 14 birds shortly before the mandatory
evacuation order came with the approach of the Thomas Fire this week,
director Kimberly Stroud told CNN.
"We just turned them loose," she said. "Their best possibility of survival is to be released and fly away."
As
the fire raged, Spooky the barred owl, Sasquatch the red-tailed hawk,
Handsome the turkey vulture and about 20 other "education" animals were
placed in small crates to await the evacuation order, Stroud said. The
"education" and "ambassador" birds are unable to fly because of
injuries. They're used instead for educational purposes such as school
visits.
Kimberly Stroud, head of the Ojai Raptor Center, holds Wonder the turkey vulture after the evacuation.
"It's
better for them to stay where they're at and comfortable, versus move
them around a lot," she said. "They get stressed out easy."
But burning embers, drifting ash and heavy smoke endangered the birds, which have sensitive respiratory systems, Stroud said.
After
evacuating from Ojai this week, the 24 eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and
other birds in crates found a temporary home in the dining room and
garage of a volunteer near the beach in Ventura County. Stroud said her
sister, two Great Danes and three cats also took up residence there.
Stroud said her phone has been ringing nonstop with "thoughts and prayers" and donations for the animals.
"We've
already had $3,000 in donations come in from people who care and want
to help us," she said. "That's going to be our saving grace, because
when we get back to the center, it's going to be a massive cleanup."
During the Creek Fire in Los Angeles County, 29 horses were killed and those that were rescued sustained severe burns
and were treated for smoke inhalation, dehydration and stress,
according to the Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control.
Authorities
said hundreds of pets, donkeys and even llamas have filled college
facilities, county fairgrounds and sports facilities that were turned
into temporary shelters.
The fires
The six blazes vary in size.
Thomas Fire: The largest of the fires has scorched 143,000 acres after starting Monday in Ventura County. It's 10% contained. It's also spread into Santa Barbara County. The blaze ranks as the 19th most destructive fire
in the state's records. It's the biggest in Los Angeles since the
Bel-Air fire in 1961 torched the homes of the rich and famous.
Creek Fire: The second-largest blaze ignited a day later in neighboring Los Angeles County. It has burned 15,323 acres and is 20% contained.
Rye Fire: It
broke out Tuesday in Los Angeles County and has burned 6,000 acres.
Firefighters are making progress, with 35% of the blaze contained.
Lilac Fire: This
fast-moving fire consumed 4,100 acres in a few hours after erupting
Thursday in San Diego County. It exploded from half an acre to 500 acres
in 20 minutes, according to San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn. It's
0% contained.
Skirball Fire: It started Wednesday as a brush fire in Los Angeles County and is now 30% contained.
Liberty Fire: The blaze in Riverside County has burned 300 acres since it ignited Thursday. It's 5% contained.
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