Hundreds of California homes destroyed by record-setting wildfire

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (NEWS 1130) – One of the largest wildfires in California history is now 40 per cent contained but flames still threaten coastal communities as dry, gusty winds are predicted to continue.

While crews got a break from slightly calmer winds on the lines of the enormous blaze threatening Santa Barbara County, much of the rest of Southern California was buffeted by powerful gusts that increased the wildfire risk across the region.

The National Weather Service forecast red flag conditions for extreme fire danger through Sunday evening for Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Trees came down after wind gusts topped 113 kph in mountain areas and 80 kph along the coast.

With winds threatening to bring down power lines and spark more wildfires, Southern California Edison is considering turning off electricity to some parts of Malibu. Utility spokesman Paul Griffo says the coastal city is particularly vulnerable if strong Santa Ana winds continue to batter the area.

Some 8,000 firefighters are deployed to the so-called Thomas Fire, which has burned for nearly two weeks and still threatens 18,000 homes. Parts of the city of Santa Barbara and the hillside enclaves of Montecito and Carpinteria remain under evacuation orders. However in neighbouring Ventura County, where the fire started, officials lifted some evacuation orders early Sunday.

The wildfire is the third largest in California’s history, and fire officials say it is on track to become the second largest. It has destroyed more than 700 homes and killed a firefighter.

Everything about the fire was massive, from a footprint larger than that of many cities to the sheer scale of destruction that cremated entire neighbourhoods or the legions attacking it: about 8,300 firefighters from nearly a dozen states, aided by 78 bulldozers and 29 helicopters that were dropping thousands of litres of water on fires and hot spots.

Related article: New blaze erupts in wildfire-plagued Southern California

Authorities are hoping to have the blaze contained by Jan. 7.

Santa Barbara has had only a tiny amount of rain since Oct. 1, the start of the new water year, and is more than 7.6 centimetres below normal to date.

Another focus of firefighting was on the eastern flank in canyons where state firefighter Cory Iverson was killed Thursday near the agricultural town of Fillmore. The blaze is also blamed for the death of a 70-year-old woman who died in a car crash on an evacuation route.

Funeral procession held for firefighter killed on Thursday

A five-county funeral has been held for a firefighter killed while battling the colossal wildfire that’s still threatening homes in Southern California.

An autopsy found Cory Iverson died from burns and smoke inhalation.

Firefighters and police stood at attention as Iverson’s body left the medical examiner’s office in Ventura County shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday. The procession will wind through Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties. Iverson’s body is bound for a funeral home in San Diego, where the 32-year-old was stationed.

“When that happened, this fire hit a whole new level because all the firefighters know that could have been them,” Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority said earlier this week. “When you lose a fellow brother, that hits all of us and our families extremely hard.”

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