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With Wildfires Still Burning, Southern California Remains Dry

by VOA News

   Forecasters say southern California remains at risk of rapidly
   spreading wildfires due to gusty winds and extremely low humidity, but
   that the winds should be nowhere near as strong as they were last week
   when multiple fires exploded across the region.

   The National Weather Service says peak gusts could reach about 60
   kilometers per hour through Thursday. That is half as strong as the
   area around Los Angeles saw last week.

   The Santa Ana winds have helped build one of the largest and most
   destructive fires in California's history in an area about 160
   kilometers northwest of Los Angeles.

   The so-called Thomas Fire has burned more than 930 square kilometers
   and destroyed 800 buildings in Santa Barbara County since it started a
   week ago. Authorities say the blaze was 20 percent contained as of late
   Monday.

   Cal Fire official Tim Chavez said at a briefing late Monday the last
   time the same area burned in a wildfire was 1964, so the fuel there is
   more than 50 years old.

   More than 6,300 personnel are involved in fighting the Thomas Fire, and
   more have been able to focus their efforts there after crews made major
   progress in bringing several much smaller fires under control in recent
   days.

   The fires have forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate their homes.
   Authorities have been handing out face masks to help protect people
   from smoke inhalation, and a number of schools have been closed.

   President Donald Trump responded to the fires Friday by issuing a
   federal declaration of a state of emergency for California, paving the
   way for federal agencies to help coordinate relief efforts.

   Fires are not uncommon in southern California this time of year as the
   region experiences a mix of strong winds and dry vegetation.

   In October, wildfires that broke out in northern California killed 44
   people and destroyed 8,900 homes and other buildings.