The out-of-control Thomas Fire, just one of several fires burning in southern California has now consumed 230,000 acres (930 square kilometers) in the past week, an area larger than New York City.
On Sunday, the fire grew by over 50,000 acres during the day, triggering new evacuation orders for an additional 5,000 residents, including families east of Mission Canyon and north of Highway 192. Another 30,000 residents west of Mission Canyon to Highway 154 and south of Highway 192 to the county line were told to prepare to evacuate.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting the blaze has destroyed 524 structures and damaged 135 in the city of Ventura. In the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, 266 structures have been destroyed, while 56 were damaged, according to local authorities.
In the beach town of Carpinteria, which firefighters have been trying to protect, six structures have already been lost to the flames. The fire is moving west above the city, consuming vegetation that hasn’t been burned in over 100 years. “The fuels in there are thick and they’re dead so they’re very receptive to fire,” said Steve Swindle, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Containment of blaze is difficult
The Santa Ana winds have seemingly been never-ending and with the extremely dry humidity they carry, have presented a major problem for firefighters trying to contain the inferno. Another problem is the location and mountainous terrain. “This is a menacing fire, certainly, but we have a lot of people working very diligently to bring it under control,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said, reports the BBC.
At least 200,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes as the seven wildfires rage through the region, going into the second week. “The winds are kind of squirrely right now,” said county fire spokesman Mike Eliason, per the Associated Press. “Some places the smoke is going straight up in the air, and others it’s blowing sideways. Depends on what canyon we’re in.”