Southern California's Thomas Fire explodes in size, threatens new areas

[Right_in_Virginia]

Southern California's Thomas Fire explodes in size, threatens new areas
Fox News, Dec 11, 2017, Travis Fedschun



Southern California's largest and most destructive wildfire exploded in size Sunday into new areas, as the wind-whipped flames forced thousands of more residents to flee their homes.

The powerful flare-up on the western edge of the Thomas Fire sparked new evacuations 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.

"The winds are kind of squirrely right now,"  Mike Eliason, the Santa Barbara County fire spokesman, said. "Some places the smoke is going straight up in the air, and others it's blowing sideways. Depends on what canyon we're in."


More: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/12/10/new-evacuations-as-huge-southern-california-fire-flares-up.html

[truth_seeker]

Very expensive real estate, to say the least. Scenic. Interesting.

Cool weekend getaways. Some people commute from Santa Barbara to LA area.

We have witnessed fires there, before. But not on this magnitude.

The words "possible widespread arson" come to my mind.