Celebrities rush to evacuate California wildfires

Celebrities like Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneres were among thousands who were forced to plan escape routes as Southern California’s largest and most destructive wildfire threatened 200,000 acres.

New evacuations were ordered as the fire sent up an enormous plume near Montecito and Carpinteria – seaside areas in Santa Barbara County that had been under fire threat for days and were now choked with smoke.

Early on Sunday, actor Rob Lowe announced his plans to flee to safety as the flames continued the route.

‘Praying for my town. Fires closing in. Firefighters making brave stands. Could go either way. Packing to evacuate now,’ Lowe wrote to his Twitter page.

This afternoon, Comedian Ellen Degeneres also said her home was ‘under threat of being burned.’

Degenered tweeted: ‘We just had to evacuate our pets. I’m praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters.

‘Everyone in the Montecito area is checking up on each other and helping to get people and animals to safety. I’m proud to be a part of this community,’ she added.

‘I’m sending lots of love and gratitude to the fire department and sheriffs. Thank you all. #ThomasFire’ 

US forest fire crews fight fire with fire as they set off huge backfires to cut off the northern flank of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres Southern California

US forest fire crews fight fire with fire as they set off huge backfires to cut off the northern flank of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres Southern California

Actor Billy Baldwin shared shocking photos from outside his house of dust clouding over the sky.

‘Smoke from the #ThomasFire blocks out the sun… San Ynez, CA North Santa Barbara County #ThankYouFirefighters!!!,’ Baldwin wrote in the picture post.

#Thomas Fire now: 173,000 acres, 4,500 firefighters, 710 structures and 15% contained,# he said this morning.

Crews with help from a fleet water-dropping planes and helicopters saved homes as unpredictable gusts sent the blaze deeper into residential foothill areas northwest of Los Angeles that haven’t burned in decades.

‘The winds are kind of squirrely right now,’ said county fire spokesman Mike Eliason.

‘Some places the smoke is going straight up in the air, and others it’s blowing sideways. Depends on what canyon we’re in.’ 

Firefighters watch after setting a backfire at night to make progress against the Thomas Fire before the winds return with the daylight near Lake Casitas on December 9, 2017 near Ojai, California

Firefighters watch after setting a backfire at night to make progress against the Thomas Fire before the winds return with the daylight near Lake Casitas on December 9, 2017 near Ojai, California

Strong Santa Ana winds have been feeding major wildfires all week, destroying hundreds of houses and forcing tens of thousands of people to stay away from their homes

Strong Santa Ana winds have been feeding major wildfires all week, destroying hundreds of houses and forcing tens of thousands of people to stay away from their homes

A fire whirl, also called a fire devil, forms as firefighters use drip torches to set a backfire at night in an effort to make progress against the Thomas Fire before the winds return with the daylight near Lake Casitas on December 9, 2017 near Ojai

A fire whirl, also called a fire devil, forms as firefighters use drip torches to set a backfire at night in an effort to make progress against the Thomas Fire before the winds return with the daylight near Lake Casitas on December 9, 2017 near Ojai

The department posted a photo of one residence engulfed in flames. It’s unclear whether other structures burned. 

Thousands of homes and businesses in the county were without power.

The air thick with acrid smoke, even residents of areas not under evacuation orders took the opportunity to leave, fearing another shutdown of U.S. 101, a key coastal highway that was closed intermittently last week. 

Officials handed out masks to residents who stayed behind in Montecito, the wealthy hillside enclave that’s home to celebrities such as Lowe, Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bridges. 

A few miles to the west, Santa Barbara Zoo was closed to the public and its 500 animals confined to their night quarters all day. 

The zoo was just outside the evacuation area, but smoke and ash blew through the 30-acre property.

Firefighters made significant progress Saturday on other fronts of the enormous fire that started Dec. 4 in neighboring Ventura County. 

As containment increased on other major blazes in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties, resources from those fires were diverted to the Santa Barbara foothills.

Forecasters said Santa Ana winds that whipped fires across the region last week would continue in some areas at least through Monday.

Santa Barbara PIO Mike Eliason watches as a home between Via Baja and Foothill goes up in flames Tuesday midday after a fast-moving, wind-fueled wildfire swept into Ventura destroying many homes early Tuesday

Santa Barbara PIO Mike Eliason watches as a home between Via Baja and Foothill goes up in flames Tuesday midday after a fast-moving, wind-fueled wildfire swept into Ventura destroying many homes early Tuesday

) Huge smoke clouds rise into the sky at the Thomas fire Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres

) Huge smoke clouds rise into the sky at the Thomas fire Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres

A lack of rain has officials on edge statewide because of parched conditions and no end in sight to the typical fire season.

‘This is the new normal,’ Gov. Jerry Brown warned Saturday after surveying damage from the deadly Ventura fire. 

‘We’re about ready to have firefighting at Christmas. This is very odd and unusual.’

High fire risk is expected to last into January and the governor and experts said climate change is making it a year-round threat.

Overall, the fires have destroyed about 800 homes and other buildings, killed dozens of horses and forced more than 200,000 people to flee flames that have burned over 270 square miles (700 square kilometers) since Dec. 4. 

One death, so far, a 70-year-old woman who crashed her car on an evacuation route, is attributed to the fire in Santa Paula, a small city where the fire began.

The Ventura County blaze also continued to burn into rugged mountains in the Los Padres National Forest near the little town of Ojai and toward a preserve established for endangered California condors.

Ojai experienced hazardous levels of smoke at times and officials warned of unhealthy air for large swaths of the region. 

Fire fighters attack the Thomas Fire's north flank with backfires as they continue to fight a massive wildfire north of Los Angeles, near Ojai

Fire fighters attack the Thomas Fire’s north flank with backfires as they continue to fight a massive wildfire north of Los Angeles, near Ojai

US forest fire crews fight fire with fire as they set off huge backfires to cut off the northern flank of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area Saturday

US forest fire crews fight fire with fire as they set off huge backfires to cut off the northern flank of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area Saturday

Firefighting helicopters try to save a house from the Thomas wildfire in Carpinteria, California on December 10

Firefighting helicopters try to save a house from the Thomas wildfire in Carpinteria, California on December 10

The South Coast Air Quality Management District urged residents to stay indoors if possible and avoid vigorous outdoor activities.

As fires burned in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, firefighters were already in place north of San Diego on Thursday when a major fire erupted and rapidly spread in the Fallbrook area, known for its avocado groves and horse stables in the rolling hills.

The fire swept through the San Luis Rey Training Facility, where it killed more than 40 elite thoroughbreds and destroyed more than 100 homes — most of them in a retirement community. 

Three people were burned trying to escape the fire that continued to smolder Sunday.

Most of last week’s fires were in places that burned in the past, including one in the ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air that burned six homes and another in the city’s rugged foothills above the community of Sylmar and in Santa Paula. 

Meanwhile, the Lilac Fire #reached a peak of 1,409 Sunday and officials at the central command center say they’re likely to begin releasing crews from duty now that the fire has reached 60 percent containment,’ according to Fox 5 San Diego.

Crews worked through Sunday to strengthen containment lines and put out hot spots, the news station said.

‘The fire’s looking really good, despite the wind,’ said Cal Fire public information officer and Battalion Chief Henry Herrera.

‘If we can get through today I think we’ll be in pretty good shape for the remainder of this incident.’ 

Firefighter Malachi Anderson churns up the ashes as Nicholas Spanheimer hoses as they and other crew members with Cal Fire Engine 2472 do mop up work after the Lilac fire along Olive Hill Road

Firefighter Malachi Anderson churns up the ashes as Nicholas Spanheimer hoses as they and other crew members with Cal Fire Engine 2472 do mop up work after the Lilac fire along Olive Hill Road

Firefighter Roebey Utviek climbs up a steep embankment covered with a thick layer of ash as he and the crew of Cal Fire Engine 2472 head int the woods to put out hot spots

Firefighter Roebey Utviek climbs up a steep embankment covered with a thick layer of ash as he and the crew of Cal Fire Engine 2472 head int the woods to put out hot spots

Firefighters Malachi Anderson, left, and Nicholas Spanheimer return to their fire truck as they do mop up work after the Lilac fire

Firefighters Malachi Anderson, left, and Nicholas Spanheimer return to their fire truck as they do mop up work after the Lilac fire

Sparks fly as firefighter Malachi Anderson scrapes out the still burning part of a tree as he and crew members with Cal Fire Engine 2472 do mop up work after the Lilac fire along Olive Hill Road

Sparks fly as firefighter Malachi Anderson scrapes out the still burning part of a tree as he and crew members with Cal Fire Engine 2472 do mop up work after the Lilac fire along Olive Hill Road



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