If you would have told me it was possible to have a fire start near Ventura and burn all the way to Santa Barbara I would have told you that would be impossible 1 month ago. It just wouldn't be feasible. I have personally been in fires just in Santa Barbara myself and came close to getting burnt up in the Tea fire because I wasn't watching what the fire was doing burning off my escape route but then again I'm not a fireman either. Luckily then, when I couldn't get out the only route I knew I went to a fire station that was about to be evacuated because it was going to burn down and they told me the route they were going to use to survive this and luckily that worked. But, the Thomas fire is unbelievable in ferocity because of super dry conditions in Southern California. I have been walking a friend's dogs in the hills of San Diego County and instead of San Diego County you would think you were walking in the hills of the desert instead because of how sad the brush is all over southern California after droughts back at least 5 years in Southern California now. Though Northern California has mostly recovered from the droughts Southern California hasn't really ever recovered from the long drought. and this is why the Thomas Fire can happen. Winds 40 to 90 miles per hour off the deserts, humidity in the 3% to 15% range, dew point averages below zero (which I thought was impossible until the last couple of weeks) and more. This is what Global Warming does to Southern California. If this keeps up most houses in southern California are going to be burning in the next 5 to 20 years time.
Thomas Fire on
course to become
California's largest-
ever wildfire
course to become
California's largest-
ever wildfire
CNN.com
1 hour ago
Winds strengthen California wildfires 01:28
(CNN)A
huge blaze that has devastated swaths of Southern California is on
course to become the largest wildfire in the state's modern history and
is expected to burn into January.
The Thomas Fire,
the biggest of a number of blazes currently burning in California, has
torched 270,000 acres, making it the state's third-largest since
reliable record-keeping began in 1932. The largest, the 2003 Cedar Fire
near San Diego, destroyed 273,246 acres.
Diminishing
winds and increasing humidity are in the forecast over the next couple
of days, hopeful news for beleaguered Californians and fatigued
firefighters. But there is still little rain forecast for the next 10
days, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.
The
Thomas Fire also is currently the third-most destructive in structure
losses, with more than 1,000 buildings burned, according to the
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal
Fire.
The
spate of fires, which have burned for two weeks without respite, have
affected over 100,000 Californians, many of whom have been forced to
flee their homes, either through mandatory or voluntary evacuations --
with no guarantee that they will have anything left when they return.
According
to an update released by Cal Fire, 18,000 structures are still
threatened as the Thomas Fire rages on. As of Sunday night, it was still
only 45% contained, the alert states. Authorities predict the fire will
be contained by January 7.
While
thousands of residents threatened by the fire remain under evacuation,
others have been allowed back in their homes -- or, at least, what was
left of them.
The fire is so
massive that more than 8,400 firefighters are working around the clock
to save lives and contain it. It has turned neighborhoods to piles of
soot and concrete as it churns through the area.
The latest
• Improving weather conditions: Winds
should die down and stay that way through Tuesday, according to the
National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles. However, northerly winds are
expected to pick back up Wednesday evening, and Santa Ana winds are
possible Thursday into the weekend.
• Long-awaited rain:
Trace amounts of rain were observed with the frontal passage in Van
Nuys, Burbank, Lancaster, Palmdale, and Los Angeles International
Airport, says CNN's Pedram Javaheri.
• Hefty price tag: About $110 million has been spent fighting the massive blaze, fire officials said. This year has been the costliest for wildfires in US history. Damages have topped $10 billion, and that was before the current fires began in Southern California.
• Size: The
Thomas fire has burned an area larger than New York City, Washington
D.C. and San Francisco combined -- and larger than any city in
California except Los Angeles.
• Multiple casualties: A total of two people, including one firefighter, have been killed since the fires started.
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter makes a water drop on
flames 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 north of Ventura on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily on December 6. Reily's Ventura home was destroyed by fire.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5.
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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 on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man watches as a wildfire burns 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 a 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 saved their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
This Ventura apartment complex, seen on December 5, was destroyed by fire.
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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 on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man prepares to evacuate his house in Santa Paula, California, on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man tries to catch a horse that got loose 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 work 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
Flames
from a back-firing operation rise behind a home off Ladera Lane near
Bella Vista Drive in Santa Barbara, California, on Thursday, December
14. 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
Fire, smoke and ash from the Thomas Fire blanket Santa Barbara on Wednesday, December 13.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
smoke-filled sky filters sunlight to orange around a surfer as the
Thomas Fire continues to grow and threaten communities from Carpinteria
to Santa Barbara on Tuesday, December 12, in Carpinteria, California.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
People watch as firefighters battle flames in Carpinteria, California, on Monday, December 11.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
As smoke obscures the sun, a Coulson C-130 air tanker turns to make a drop on a Carpinteria hillside on December 11.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
As
the Thomas Fire burns in the background, Dan Bellaart and his wife,
Mary McEwen, comfort each other in their backyard in Montecito,
California, on December 11.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire burns in the mountains near Carpinteria on Sunday, December 10.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighters battle a wildfire as it advances on homes in Carpinteria on December 10.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A cloud of smoke overshadows downtown Ventura, California, on December 10.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Horses
are evacuated from the Laughing Dog Ranch as smoke from the Thomas Fire
descends on the area in Ojai, California, on Saturday, December 9.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The shell of a burnt-out bus is seen after fire swept through residential neighborhoods near Ojai on Friday, December 8.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames rise as a fire approaches the Lake Casitas area of Ojai on December 8.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball Fire swept through the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air on Thursday, December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose in Ventura on December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita, California, on December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires surround a hilltop mansion in 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. The
Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke rises across Southern California in this image taken 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 after the Skirball Fire swept through Bel-Air on December 6.
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19 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames from the Thomas Fire burn above a truck north of Ventura on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily on December 6. Reily's Ventura home was destroyed by fire.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5.
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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 on December 5.
Hide Caption
23 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man watches as a wildfire burns in Ventura on December 5.
Hide Caption
24 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Creek Fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 5.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter battles a blaze in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
Hide Caption
26 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Antoine Hanna comforts his wife, Tammy, after firefighters saved their home in Ventura on December 5.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
This Ventura apartment complex, seen on December 5, was destroyed by fire.
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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.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees burn in Ventura on December 5.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man prepares to evacuate his house in Santa Paula, California, on December 5.
Hide Caption
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man tries to catch a horse that got loose in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
Hide Caption
33 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Shrubs burn near a home in Ventura on December 5.
Hide Caption
34 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
James and Josie Ralstin carry belongings retrieved from their home in Ventura on December 5.
Hide Caption
35 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighters work to put out a blaze engulfing homes in Ventura on December 5.
Hide Caption
36 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire burns along a hillside near Santa Paula on December 5.
Hide Caption
37 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames
from a back-firing operation rise behind a home off Ladera Lane near
Bella Vista Drive in Santa Barbara, California, on Thursday, December
14. 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 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fire, smoke and ash from the Thomas Fire blanket Santa Barbara on Wednesday, December 13.
Hide Caption
2 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A
smoke-filled sky filters sunlight to orange around a surfer as the
Thomas Fire continues to grow and threaten communities from Carpinteria
to Santa Barbara on Tuesday, December 12, in Carpinteria, California.
Hide Caption
3 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
People watch as firefighters battle flames in Carpinteria, California, on Monday, December 11.
Hide Caption
4 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
As smoke obscures the sun, a Coulson C-130 air tanker turns to make a drop on a Carpinteria hillside on December 11.
Hide Caption
5 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
As
the Thomas Fire burns in the background, Dan Bellaart and his wife,
Mary McEwen, comfort each other in their backyard in Montecito,
California, on December 11.
Hide Caption
6 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire burns in the mountains near Carpinteria on Sunday, December 10.
Hide Caption
7 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighters battle a wildfire as it advances on homes in Carpinteria on December 10.
Hide Caption
8 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A cloud of smoke overshadows downtown Ventura, California, on December 10.
Hide Caption
9 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Horses
are evacuated from the Laughing Dog Ranch as smoke from the Thomas Fire
descends on the area in Ojai, California, on Saturday, December 9.
Hide Caption
10 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The shell of a burnt-out bus is seen after fire swept through residential neighborhoods near Ojai on Friday, December 8.
Hide Caption
11 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames rise as a fire approaches the Lake Casitas area of Ojai on December 8.
Hide Caption
12 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball Fire swept through the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air on Thursday, December 7.
Hide Caption
13 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose in Ventura on December 7.
Hide Caption
14 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita, California, on December 7.
Hide Caption
15 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires surround a hilltop mansion in Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 6.
Hide Caption
16 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
"Daddy,
the home is gone," Amanda Lewis tells her family on December 6. The
Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in Ventura.
Hide Caption
17 of 37
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke rises across Southern California in this image taken 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 after the Skirball Fire swept through Bel-Air on December 6.
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Funeral procession
A funeral procession passing through five counties Sunday carried the remains of firefighter Cory David Iverson, 32, who died in the blaze.
The procession began in Ventura and passed through Los Angeles, San
Bernardino and Riverside counties before arriving at at a funeral home
in San Diego.
Iverson, from Escondido, leaves behind his pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter, according to CNN affiliate KCAL.
He
died of "thermal injuries and smoke inhalation," according to autopsy
results from the Ventura County medical examiner's office. An
investigation into the death is underway, KCAL reported.
The affiliate reported that
first-responders including firefighters, many of whom didn't know
Iverson personally, lined the procession route.
Many praised the young firefighter's actions.
"With
Cory, they said, he got his guys out first. And he didn't get out. So
(he was) the captain of the ship," Bruce Cartelli, retired San Diego
Fire Chief, told KCAL.
Resident: 100-foot flames all around us
Jeannette Frescas told CNN affiliate KEYT that she was awakened by towering flames when the fire reached her neighborhood in Ventura, California.
"I looked out my window and there were flames that were like, a hundred feet, all around us," Frescas said.
Like many residents, Frescas was caught off guard by the fire.
"What
was once a paradise was like a war zone," Frescas said of her apartment
complex, which was destroyed by the blaze. "It's the scariest thing
I've been through in my entire life."
Ventura
resident Patricia Rye woke up to her son-in-law pounding on her door.
She didn't get a chance to pack any valuables, and fled her home of 17
years in the dead of the night.
"I
didn't have time to take anything," Rye told the affiliate. "My
wallet, or any of my personal things. I literally left with the clothes
on my back."
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