California wildfire now larger than New York
A destructive wildfire raging in southern California has expanded significantly, scorching an area larger than New York City, BBC News reported on Dec. 11.
The Thomas fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties has reportedly consumed 230,000 acres in the past week.
Fanned by strong winds, it has become the fifth largest wildfire in recorded state history after it grew by more than 50,000 acres in a day.
On Sunday, firefighters reported that 15 percent of the blaze had been contained but were forced to downgrade that to 10 percent as it continued to spread.
The containment operation is not only being hampered by dry winds. It is proving challenging for firefighters because of the location and mountainous terrain.
An analyst with the California fire protection department, Tim Chavez, said the emergency services were struggling because "a hot interior" was in parts practically meeting the ocean, making access difficult.
The other fires hitting California are largely controlled, but 200,000 people have evacuated their homes and some 800 buildings have been destroyed since 4 December.
The catastrophe in Southern California follows severe wildfires mainly in Northern California in October 2017 that have trigged total insured losses that top $9.4 billion in residential and commercial claims, according to the California Department of Insurance.
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