Wildfires in the forests of southern California are driven by Santa Ana winds. It has displaced the thousands of people from this area.
About 200,000 people are under evacuation orders, but no deaths and few injuries have been reported. Among the injured are three Los Angeles Fire Dept firefighters; all are reported to be in stable condition.
Trees in two national forests are ablaze – the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, and the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County.
In Ventura County, the Thomas Fire started on the evening of December 4 in upper Ojai near Thomas Aquinas College in the city of Santa Paula.
Pushed by strong winds, the Thomas Fire spread rapidly and has now consumed more than 96,000 acres and destroyed 150 homes and other structures.
The blaze is established on the north and east side of Highway 150 and on the west side of Highway 30. The fire has pushed northwest of Ventura and has reached Highway 101.