Firefighters battling the Thomas Fire in Ventura County have received much of the fire engines, manpower, and aircraft they requested to fight the massive 115,000-acre blaze, but stubborn winds continue to spread flames, spreading firefighting resources thin.
With more than 2,500 personnel on hand, firefighters said they were hopping from one neighborhood to another, trying to put out hot spots and at times returning to areas that would suddenly reignite with the help of erratic wind gusts.
“We’ve had such high winds for such a long period of time, that’s something we haven’t really seen before,” Capt. Scott Quirarte told BuzzFeed News. “We haven’t had a wind condition like this.”
The fire has now burned for four days and, on Thursday, firefighters stationed at neighborhoods keeping an eye out for any fires that approached homes. So far, officials said, firefighters have focused on trying to prevent additional damage, and have been unable to devote resources to building a perimeter around the massive fire.
As of Thursday evening, the fire was 5% contained.
Containment lines are spread apart from each other and erratic winds that reach up to 60 mph have kept the fire moving west, keeping the fire active and tricky to handle, Ventura Fire Department Capt. Robert Welsbie told BuzzFeed News.
On Thursday, the fire moved toward the community of Ojai, forming a sort of fiery fork surrounding the community and prompting evacuations.
Fire officials said they are hoping for more resources and help.
There is some relief, however. Firefighters said they are now being rotated through 12-hour shirts, instead of the 24-to-30-hour shifts they worked on the first days of the fire.
—Brianna Sacks and Salvador Hernandez
