2017 California Wildfires Latest News: Thomas Fire Burns New York City-Sized Area, Celebrity Homes Under Threat
The Thomas Fire in California's Ventura and Santa Barbara counties is currently setting an area larger than New York City in a raging inferno.
Reports revealed that the ongoing fire, which is now considered as the fifth largest wildfire in the history of the state, already consumed as much as 230,000 acres in just one week.
As of Sunday, the firefighters revealed that only 15% of the intense wildfire had been contained. Yet its continuous spread downgraded the progress to 10% because of it still continuously spread around the area.
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"This is a menacing fire, certainly, but we have a lot of people working very diligently to bring it under control," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement that was reported by BBC.
The report mentioned that the firefighter's plight to contain the flames are being hindered by the dry winds in the vicinity. The location of the fire and the mountainous terrain are also the major factors why the fire is still rampaging the Southern California counties.
Reports also revealed that the mandatory evacuation for the residents living within the path of Thomas Fire continues as it threatens to set the area of Montecito ablaze. The mandatory evacuation areas include the city of Carpenteria, the beaches of Summerland, as well as the Montecito enclave where a number of Hollywood personalities live.
Actor Rob Lowe and TV host Ellen Degeneres are among the thousands of residents who were included in the mandatory evacuation. On Twitter, both celebrities announced their evacuation plans in compliance with the escape orders.
According to Deadline, other celebrities who are known for having homes within the Thomas Fire path in Montecito include Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bridges, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Stewart, Eric Schmidt, and Al Gore. On the other hand, the homes of couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis as well as directors Joel Schumacher and George Lucas in Carpinteria are also under threat.
