California wildfires have destroyed 1,000 structures ... and counting
(CNN)One week after the Thomas Fire exploded from a brush fire to a raging inferno, thousands of firefighters made some headway Monday in their struggle to contain it.
The blaze is larger than all of New York City and about 20% contained as of Monday evening,according to the fire protection agency CAL FIRE.
The California wildfires by the numbers
But it's only one of six major wildfires torching the state, which have destroyed more than 1,000 structures.
As the flames burned in the foothills on the edge of Montecito in Santa Barbara County on Monday evening, some hoped for the best.
Barbara Nimmo said she had lived through massive wildfires, including the Zaca fire that burned more than 240,000 acres in 2007 and one in Romero Canyon more than 40 years ago. She was staying put, she said, even as blaze glowed on the hillside behind her.
7 images show why the Southern California wildfires are so dangerous
"We're from here. We know fires and we feel absolutely dedicated to our clients," said Nimmo, an estate manager for several mansions in the affluent Montecito area. "I'm just devastated overall. This is the worst I've seen."
Man loses 2 homes in wildfires
In just two months, Dr. Antonio Wong lost two houses in two separate California wildfires.
The anesthesiologist, his wife and his son escaped their Santa Rosa home before a wildfire engulfed it in October.
Dr. Antonio Wong's Santa Rosa house was burned to the ground.
Weeks after Wong sifted through the charred remnants of that house, he learned that his other home in Ventura -- which he was renting out to members of the military -- burned down last week.
While those tenants are safe, "it was pretty devastating," Wong said from Santa Rosa on Monday.
"I still haven't processed the fire down there (in Ventura). I have so much to do to rebuild my house here (that) the thought of trying to rebuild a house down there at the same time is overwhelming. I don't know what I'm going to do."
Latest developments
Making history: At more than 230,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, the Thomas Fire is now the fifth largest wildfire in modern California history.
Elevated conditions: Fire conditions are much better than over the weekend, but winds will continue to be a bit breezy at 20 to 40 mph through the middle of the week, according to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward. Ventura County and surrounding areas are under an elevated fire outlook through Tuesday. Temperatures will remain in the upper 70s and low 80s for the week, as humidity remains low.
Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke billows from a burning house in Los Angeles as the Creek Fire moves through the area December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire spews smoke in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Creek Fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter battles the blaze in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Antoine Hanna comforts his wife, Tammy, after firefighters save their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires leave an apartment complex leveled in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter sprays water at a burning house in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees burn in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests between fighting fires in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man prepares to evacuate from his Santa Paula house on December 5. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man attempts to catch a horse that got loose during a wildfire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Shrubs burn near a home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
James and Josie Ralstin carry belongings retrieved from their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighters battle to put out a blaze engulfing homes in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire burns along a hillside near Santa Paula on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
In this photo released by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department on Sunday, December 10, firefighters battle a wildfire as it advances on homes in Carpinteria, California. Powerful Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions are fueling wildfires in Southern California in what has been a devastating year for such natural disasters in the state.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A pyrocumulus cloud of smoke overshadows downtown Ventura on December 10.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Horses are evacuated from the Laughing Dog Ranch as smoke from the Thomas fire descends on the area in Ojai, California, on Saturday, December 9.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The shell of a burnt out bus is seen after fire swept through residential neighborhoods on Maripoca Highway near Ojai, California on Friday, December 8.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames rise as a fire front approaches the Lake Casitas area of Ojai on December 8.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball wildfire swept through the exclusive enclave of Bel-Air, California, on Thursday, December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose while battling a wildfire at Faria State Beach in Ventura on December 7. The windswept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed homes.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita in the early morning hours of December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires surround a hilltop mansion in the wealthy Bel-Air district of Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
"Daddy, the home is gone," Amanda Lewis tells her family on December 6 after the Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in Ventura, a coastal city just north of Los Angeles. The Thomas Fire, the largest of the Southern California blazes, started north of Santa Paula before spreading to Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke rises across Southern California, as seen from the International Space Station on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter makes a water drop on flames sweeping up a steep canyon wall after the Skirball Fire swept through Bel-Air on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames from the Thomas Fire burn above a truck on Highway 101 north of Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily, whose Ventura home was destroyed by fire, on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5, as wildfires spread in Southern California.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke billows from a burning house in Los Angeles as the Creek Fire moves through the area December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire spews smoke in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Creek Fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter battles the blaze in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Antoine Hanna comforts his wife, Tammy, after firefighters save their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires leave an apartment complex leveled in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A firefighter sprays water at a burning house in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees burn in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests between fighting fires in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man prepares to evacuate from his Santa Paula house on December 5. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A man attempts to catch a horse that got loose during a wildfire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Shrubs burn near a home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
James and Josie Ralstin carry belongings retrieved from their home in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Firefighters battle to put out a blaze engulfing homes in Ventura on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The Thomas Fire burns along a hillside near Santa Paula on December 5.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
In this photo released by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department on Sunday, December 10, firefighters battle a wildfire as it advances on homes in Carpinteria, California. Powerful Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions are fueling wildfires in Southern California in what has been a devastating year for such natural disasters in the state.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A pyrocumulus cloud of smoke overshadows downtown Ventura on December 10.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Horses are evacuated from the Laughing Dog Ranch as smoke from the Thomas fire descends on the area in Ojai, California, on Saturday, December 9.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
The shell of a burnt out bus is seen after fire swept through residential neighborhoods on Maripoca Highway near Ojai, California on Friday, December 8.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames rise as a fire front approaches the Lake Casitas area of Ojai on December 8.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball wildfire swept through the exclusive enclave of Bel-Air, California, on Thursday, December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Palm trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose while battling a wildfire at Faria State Beach in Ventura on December 7. The windswept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed homes.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita in the early morning hours of December 7.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Fires surround a hilltop mansion in the wealthy Bel-Air district of Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
"Daddy, the home is gone," Amanda Lewis tells her family on December 6 after the Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in Ventura, a coastal city just north of Los Angeles. The Thomas Fire, the largest of the Southern California blazes, started north of Santa Paula before spreading to Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Smoke rises across Southern California, as seen from the International Space Station on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
A Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter makes a water drop on flames sweeping up a steep canyon wall after the Skirball Fire swept through Bel-Air on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames from the Thomas Fire burn above a truck on Highway 101 north of Ventura.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily, whose Ventura home was destroyed by fire, on December 6.
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Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California
Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5, as wildfires spread in Southern California.
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Warnings: A "red flag warning" for Los Angeles and Ventura counties has been extended into Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service said. That means elevated fire weather conditions are expected due to gusty winds and low humidity.
Evacuations: Some 93,243 people were under mandatory evacuation orders in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties Monday afternoon, Thomas County fire officials said.
Death toll: The death toll from the Thomas Fire stands at one. Authorities believe Virginia Pesola, 70, of Santa Paula, died in a crash while fleeing the fire. Her body was found Wednesday.
Firefighters monitor the Thomas fire as it burns through Los Padres National Forest.
The fires
The six blazes vary in size. Together, they are larger than the areas of New York City and Boston combined, or bigger than the area of Singapore.
Thomas Fire: This inferno has destroyed nearly 232,000 acres as of Monday evening and was only about 20% contained Monday afternoon. It started December 4 in Ventura County and has since spread into neighboring Santa Barbara County. The Thomas fire has already destroyed more than 790 structures, according to Cal Fire. The costs of fighting the blaze have topped $34 million.
Creek Fire: The second-largest blaze ignited Tuesday in neighboring Los Angeles County. It has burned 15,619 acres and was 95% contained late Sunday.
Rye Fire: This fire broke out Tuesday in Los Angeles County and has torched 6,049 acres. Firefighters are making progress, with 93% of the blaze contained Monday morning.
Lilac Fire: This fast-moving fire has consumed 4,100 acres since it ignited Thursday in San Diego County. Firefighters have regained control of the blaze, and it was 80% contained Monday morning.
Skirball Fire: It started Wednesday as a brush fire in Los Angeles County, north of Brentwood. The Skirball Fire has destroyed 422 acres and was 85% contained Monday morning.
Liberty Fire: This blaze in Riverside County has burned 300 acres since it ignited Thursday. It's 100% contained, but authorities are monitoring the fire because of a forecasted increase in winds.
Celebrities thank firefighters
Several celebrities with homes in the endangered region thanked firefighters for their brave efforts.
Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, who both have houses in Montecito, an affluent Santa Barbara suburb, tweeted that they were praying for their communities.
"Our house is under threat of being burned. We just had to evacuate our pets. I'm praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters," DeGeneres said. She later tweeted that she was proud to be part of a community where people were helping each other to safety.
Firefighters from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington state have come to California help battle the blazes.
And the Nevada Department of Corrections and Nevada Division of Forestry, which run conservation camps for inmates, have sent six trained crews of minimum-security inmates to fight the Thomas Fire.
'They're nervous'
Southeast of Montecito, Megan Tingstrom, owner of the Red Kettle Coffee in Summerland, has stayed open most of the week since the Thomas Fire started in Ventura County last Tuesday.
She offered free coffee to the firefighters and evacuees who trickled in.
"Some were crying," she said of the evacuees. "They said they lost their homes."
She said residents in Summerland, Montecito, Carpenteria and Santa Barbara are hopeful the blaze doesn't spread to their communities.
"They're nervous," Tingstrom said.
CNN's Susannah Cullinane, Carma Hassan, Kyung Lah, Joe Sutton, Paul Vercammen, Dakin Andone and Darran Simon contributed to this report.
News Courtesy: www.cnn.com
