The raging Thomas Fire claimed the life of a firefighter on Thursday after charring nearly 250,000 acres of California since early December.
Cal Fire said one of their engineers perished while working for the department’s San Diego Unit to combat the fourth largest fire in state history, but provided few specifics.
“More details will be made available as they are confirmed” said Chief Ken Pimlott, who leads the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. “In the meantime, please join me in keeping our fallen firefighter and his loved ones in your prayers and all the responders on the front lines in your thoughts as they continue to work under extremely challenging conditions.”
One other death has been linked to the Thomas Fire. The body of Virginia Pesola, 70, was found at the site of a car crash last week along an evacuation route in Ventura County, the county medical examiner’s office confirmed.
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The Thomas Fire started Dec. 4 as a brush fire but grew with the help of powerful Santa Ana winds, eventually destroying nearly 1000 structures and damaging over 250 others, according to officials.
After 10 days of battling, Cal Fire said Thursday they had the wildfire 30 percent contained.
The Thomas Fire has cost the state nearly $75 million, and Cal Fire has ordered hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
A Red Flag warning was issued for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties until 10 a.m. Friday, and a mandatory and volunteer evacuation orders continued northwest and northeast of the city of Santa Barbara.
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Authorities expect to have the fire — believed to be the fourth largest in California history, according to NBC Los Angeles — contained by Jan. 7, and have tapped more than 8,000 personnel to fight it.