Here's every fire raging in Southern California right now, and how much damage they've done
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Firefighters are battling a series of out-of-control wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura County, and the blazes are showing no signs of slowing down.
According to state officials, there are 115, 605 acres burning throughout the region from four major blazes. Over 1,000 firefighters have been deployed to combat the fires, and authorities have closed major highways, canceled school, and prompted the evacuations of close to 200,000 people.
Officials said Thursday's forecast was a "recipe for explosive fire growth" and there is a fire danger of 296 on the brush burning index — a record high, according to CNN. The figure is calculated based on moisture levels, wind, humidity, and a range of other factors. A rating above 162 is considered the most extreme risk.
The first and largest blaze, the Thomas Fire, started Monday night in Ventura County. The Creek Fire near Sylmar and the Rye Fire in Santa Clarita broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and the Skirball Fire, centered around the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood in Los Angeles, started on Wednesday morning.
Here are the locations of all the fires, as well as a roundup of how many acres are burning, as of Thursday morning:
Here are the locations of the major blazes in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties as of Thursday morning.
ESRI Map/SkitchThe fires have prompted the evacuation of close to 200,000 people and burned over 100,000 acres as of Thursday.
Thomas Fire, Ventura County
AP Photo/Noah BergerAs of Thursday morning, the Thomas Fire is burning 96,000 acres, and has destroyed at least 150 structures out of approximately 12,000 threatened. Firefighters have only contained 5% of the blaze as high winds continue to whip the fire.
Officials ordered further evacuations in the city of Ojai as high winds pushed the fire closer to populated areas. A woman's body was found near a vehicle accident in a burn area near Ojai, but officials have not yet determined a cause of death.
Creek Fire, Sylmar
Gene Blevins/ReutersThe Creek Fire, centered around Sylmar, is burning 12,605 acres as of Thursday morning, and officials estimate it has damaged 30 to 50 structures out of 2,500 homes threatened. Firefighters have managed to contain 10% of the blaze, though high winds are making that job difficult.
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