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U.S. NEWS Monday 18 deceMber 2017

8,000 firefighters protect Southern California communities

By ROBERT JABLON and said she saw through the percent contained.
CHRIS CARLSON window of her chocolate The firefighter who was
Associated Press shop smoke suddenly ap- killed, Cory Iverson, 32,
MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — pear Saturday after strong died Thursday of burns
Firefighters trying to pre- winds blew through. and smoke inhalation, ac-
vent one of the biggest “It was absolutely incredi- cording to autopsy results.
fires in California’s history ble,” she said. “There was a A funeral procession was
from consuming homes huge mushroom of smoke planned for him Sunday.
in Santa Barbara and the that happened in just a Since the fire began on
nearby wealthy enclave of matter of a few minutes.” Dec. 4, about 95,000 peo-
Montecito were hoping less Restaurants and small ple have been placed un-
powerful wind gusts would stores on normally bustling der mandatory evacua-
help them Sunday after State Street were shuttered tion. The evacuation zone
they managed to stop it Saturday. near Santa Barbara on
from burning thousands of “It’s a ghost town,” Schoop- Saturday was 17 miles (27
residences. Rutten said. “It’s very, very kilometers) long and up to
Crews took advantage of eerie.” 5 miles (8 kilometers) wide
calmer winds overnight, The 420-square-mile and the new expansion
clearing brush and digging (1,085-square-kilometer) encompassed about 3,300 Firefighters from Kern County, Calif., work to put out hot spots
containment lines above blaze called the Thomas people. during a wildfire Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, in Montecito, Calif.
hillside neighborhoods, fire Fire was moving rapidly Everything about the fire Associated Press
information officer Lisa Cox westward and crested has been massive, from 8,300 firefighters from near- in state history.
said. Montecito Peak, just north the sheer scale of destruc- ly a dozen states, aided by The cause remains under
“Everything’s holding re- of Montecito. Known for tion that cremated entire 78 bulldozers and 29 heli- investigation. So far, fire-
ally well,” Cox said. While its star power, the enclave neighborhoods to the le- copters. fighting costs have sur-
gusts were expected to boasts the mansions of gions attacking it: about It’s the third largest wildfire passed $117 million.q
ease somewhat, even the Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGe-
lower intensity winds are still neres and many other ce-
extremely dangerous, she lebrities.
said. Winfrey expressed her dis-
The fire that started nearly may on her Twitter ac-
two weeks ago has burned count.
at least 700 residences and “Still praying for our little
killed a firefighter, but Cox town. Winds picked up this
said firefighters saved thou- morning creating a perfect
sands of homes from being storm of bad for firefight-
destroyed. ers,” Winfrey tweeted. It
Some evacuations were was not clear if the former
lifted to the east in Ventura talk show host was in Mon-
County where the blaze tecito.
erupted and officials re- Pierre Henry, owner of the
ported progress protecting Bree’osh Bakery in Monte-
the inland agricultural city cito, said he got a text to
of Fillmore. evacuate Saturday morn-
Mandatory evacuations ing as the fire approached
remained in place around homes.
Montecito and neighbor- “The worst was the smoke,”
ing Summerland as fire- Henry said. “You couldn’t
fighters sprayed water onto breathe at all and it be-
hot spots sparked by wind- came worse when the
blown embers. wind started. All the ashes
A portion of the city of and the dust on the street
Santa Barbara was under were in the air. It was very,
mandatory evacuation. At very frightening.”
the city’s zoo, workers put There was a spot of good
some animals into crates news down the coast.
and kennels to ready them Emergency officials an-
for possible evacuation. nounced that the same fire
In downtown Santa Barba- that was burning about 25
ra, Maya Schoop-Rutten, miles (40 kilometers) south-
owner of Chocolate Maya, east of Montecito was 40