The Thomas Fire, one of five destructive blazes currently burning in California, now ranks as the tenth largest wildfire on record in the state.
As of Sunday, the massive fire has burned more than 173,000 acres and
destroyed more than 500 structures in Santa Barbara and Ventura
counties since sparking last Monday. At just 15 percent containment, it
continues to threaten more than 15,000 structures.
The blaze grew nearly 20,000 acres overnight,
forcing new evacuations for parts of Montecito and Carpinteria. It also
impacted power lines, leaving at least 85,000 Santa Barbara residents
without power on Sunday.
So far, officials have confirmed one death associated with the fire. The National Weather Service warned Sunday of poor air quality in the region and encouraged people to stay inside and avoid strenuous activity if possible.
It’s possible the Thomas Fire will move up in the rankings in the coming days, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ― also known as Cal Fire ― said Sunday.
On
Cal Fire’s list of the state’s 20 largest fires, which uses records
dating back to 1932, the Thomas Fire is the only blaze to occur in
December, with nearly every other record fire burning during the hot,
summer months. But with years of record-high temperatures and
devastating drought leaving the state’s forests tinder-dry, fires have
become a threat all year long.
Fire
fighters attack the Thomas Fire’s north flank with backfires as they
continue to fight a massive wildfire north of Los Angeles, near Ojai, on
Dec. 9, 2017. (Gene Blevins / Reuters)
“It’s December, and it’s amazing to be able to say we aren’t out of fire season,”
Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said at a new conference on Saturday.
“And this is the challenge that we face in California and certainly here
in Southern California, that it is a year-round challenge that we are
all in.”
That’s
the “new reality” for California, Gov. Jerry Brown also said Saturday,
calling the state a “very wonderful place, but a place that’s getting
hotter” as global temperatures rise.
Flames
spread in a valley from a Santa Ana wind-driven brush fire called the
Thomas Fire near Ventura, California, on Dec. 5, 2017. (Gene Blevins /
Reuters)
“And we know from the changing in the climate that it’s going to exacerbate everything else,” Brown said, echoing climate scientists’ warnings that California’s highly variable climate will only become more vulnerable to wildfires and other natural disasters.
The number of large fires burning across Southern California speaks to that concern. As of Sunday, Cal Fire said, the five major ongoing blazes had burned 200,000 acres, forced 98,000 evacuations, damaged or destroyed 834 structures and threatened around 25,000 in total.
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