December 2017 Southern California wildfires

[Meatpie]

[SUP][SUB]A firefighter battles flames in poor visibility in Lake View Terrace.[/SUB][/SUP]

A fast-moving, wind-fueled wildfire swept into the city of Ventura early Tuesday, burning 45,500 acres, destroying homes and forcing 27,000 people to evacuate.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Ventura County on Tuesday morning.

“This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got,” Brown said. “It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”

The state is sending resources to help with firefighting efforts. Ventura County officials have asked the state for eight fixed-wing firefighting aircraft to help douse the flames, said Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Donoghue.

At least 150 structures — including at least one large apartment complex and the Vista Del Mar Hospital, a psychiatric facility — were consumed by flames, and many more were threatened.

The blaze started about 6:25 p.m. Monday in the foothills near Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, a popular hiking destination. It grew wildly to more than 15 square miles in the hours that followed — consuming vegetation that hasn't burned in decades, Ventura County Fire Sgt. Eric Buschow said.

There was no containment on the fire as of 10 a.m., with 1,000 firefighters battling the blaze and more on the way, said Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Tim Lochman. One helicopter was dropping water and authorities were hoping winds would die down so they could deploy fixed-wing aircraft soon, he said.

Around 7 a.m., the wind appeared to be pushing the fire east toward Camarillo and north toward Ojai, Lochman said.
The fire started near Highway 150 on Monday evening and spread into Santa Paula. From there, the fire followed Foothill Road from Santa Paula to Ventura, taking out homes and winding along canyons in the process.

On Tuesday, firefighters will continue trying to save homes in Ventura, where the fire was active. They face a red-flag wind advisory that notes ridgeline winds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts up to 70 mph. Winds are expected to decrease somewhat in the afternoon, said Chad Cook, Ventura County Fire Department division chief.

Some animals were rescued but many were cooked alive.



[SUB][SUP]Aerial view of homes burned to the ground in the Thomas fire in Ventura County.[/SUP][/SUB]

 

[Meatpie]

Padilla Ranch on Little Tujunga where 29 horses perished in Creek Fire yesterday

 

[Meatpie]

Here’s the latest:

• Evacuation orders covering thousands of people were in effect for parts of Ventura and Los Angeles.

• The Ventura fire has destroyed at least 150 structures. The fire forced the closing of parts of the 101 Freeway, along with many smaller roads.

• Dozens of schools have been closed. In the Los Angeles Unified district, more than 50 buildings were shuttered on Wednesday. In the Santa Monica-Malibu district, all classes were canceled. And in Ventura County, at least 18 districts were closed on Wednesday.

• The University of California at Los Angeles campus was safe, officials said, but all afternoon classes were canceled. The school also cancelled the men’s basketball game against Montana on Wednesday because of the fire. The campus health center was distributing masks to students to help protect them from the smoke wafting over the campus, the Daily Bruin student newspaper reported.

• Chief Ralph M. Terrazas of the Los Angeles Fire Department on Wednesday said “right now we’re experiencing favorable wind conditions,” but cautioned that could change. The winds are expected to strengthen through Wednesday and Thursday, with gusts of 60 miles per hour.

 

[Meatpie]

New evacuations today as strong winds return and push the already destructive Ventura County fire closer to several communities.

View of the current fires from the ISS.

 

[Meatpie]

View from Santa Barbara a few minutes ago

 

[Meatpie]

Houses burnt to the ground in Ventura

 

[Meatpie]

The 2017 California wildfire season has been offically decalred the most destructive one on record: A total of 8,775 fires have burned 1,358,448 acres (5,497.44 km[SUP]2[/SUP]).

Fueled by high winds the Thomas fire is spreading again.

Thomas wildfire burns above Bella Vista Drive near Romero Canyon in this social media photo by Santa Barbara County Fire Department in Montecito, California, U.S. December 12, 2017

 

[Meatpie]

Handsome firefighter dies on duty

Meanwhile firefighters are mourning the death of one of their own. Cory David Iverson, 32, lost his life battling the Thomas Fire on Thursday.

Iverson was a fire apparatus engineer from San Diego and had been a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection -- also known as Cal Fire -- since 2009.

He drove a fire engine and was killed on the east flank of the Thomas Fire, Cal Fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff said.

Iverson was with other crew members when he was killed, she said.
He leaves behind his 2-year-old daughter and a pregnant wife who's due this spring. His death is the first firefighter fatality in the most recent string of wildfires in California.

A woman was also killed in a car crash while evacuating last week, and Cal Fire says it considers her death to be fire-related.

Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson died while fighting the Thomas Fire in Ventura County. He leaves behind his pregnant wife, Ashley, and toddler daughter Evie.

 

[Meatpie]

Iverson had a passion for firefighting, Cal Fire spokesman Jon Heggie told reporters after his death. He was “the kind of firefighter you could rely on. He was the best fireman you could hope to have on your team,” Heggie said.

About 4 p.m.Thursday afternoon, Iverson’s body was loaded into a hearse and taken to the Ventura County Medical Examiner, with firefighters lining the road in tribute. There will be a formal procession when the body is brought south to San Diego County, authorities said.

 

[livingdeadman20]

sad that the firefighter died

ive heard about this too the young turks talked about it a lot, and also, one of my youtube followers told me on skype that he was driving threw california and it was like hell because of the fires

it's scary and really sad

 

[Meatpie]

California's Thomas Fire is now the state's largest EVER RECORDED.


PHOTO: Dozens of homes in a Ventura neighborhood destroyed by the Thomas fire.

Thomas Fire has burned 273,400 acres (70,172 hectares), destroyed 1,063 structures and cost more than $177 million since it broke out on December 4.More than 2,800 fire personnel are battling the blaze, which is now 65 percent contained.