Crews battling California wildfires gird for return of high winds

Homes scorched by a wildfire line a hillside in Ventura, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Homes scorched by a wildfire line a hillside in Ventura, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Published Dec 10, 2017

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Ventura - Santa Ana winds that

have stoked wildfires across Southern California, destroying

hundreds of buildings and forcing evacuations of some 200,000

people are forecast to return in force on Sunday, authorities

said.

Firefighters had gained some ground battling the fires that

have burned over the past week as the winds eased on Saturday.

At least one person has been killed.

The Skirball Fire in Los Angeles was 75% contained,

while the Creek and Rye Fires in Los Angeles County were 80% and 65% contained, officials said.

The largest blaze, the Thomas Fire, has blackened 155,000

acres in Ventura County and was 15% contained, the

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal

Fire)said in a statement on Saturday night.

Winds and the rugged terrain have hampered firefighting

efforts there, authorities said.

"The fire continues to threaten structures in various parts

of the cities of Ventura, Ojai, Casitas Springs, Santa Paula,

Carpinteria, Fillmore and the unincorporated areas of Ventura

County and Matilija Canyon," Cal Fire said in a Saturday night

update on its web site.

Authorities also lifted evacuation orders on Saturday for

sections of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

But the National Weather Service is forecasting top wind

speeds to increase to 55 miles per hour on Sunday, up from the

40 miles per hour recorded on Saturday.

The blazes have destroyed nearly 800 structures, and a

70-year-old woman died Wednesday in a car accident as she

attempted to flee the flames in Ventura County.

Virginia Pesola died of "blunt force injuries with terminal

smoke inhalation and thermal injuries," Ventura County Medical

Examiner Christopher Young said.

North of San Diego, the 4,100-acre Lilac Fire was 50%

contained by Saturday, officials said.

A brush fire broke out Saturday night in the city of

Monrovia in Los Angeles County, prompting temporary evacuations,

the U.S. Forest Service said on Twitter.

Among those evacuated included a group of Boy Scouts who

were camping in the area, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Crews knocked down the 3-acre blaze and there were "no

structures damaged," the city of Monrovia said on its web site.

Calfornia Governor Jerry Brown issued emergency

proclamations last week for Santa Barbara, San Diego, Los

Angeles and Ventura counties, freeing up additional resources to

fight the fires.

President Donald Trump issued a federal proclamation that

enables agencies to coordinate relief efforts. 

AP

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