Structures destroyed. Freeways shut down. Tens of thousands evacuated. Tonight the disaster unfolding in now at 11 00, nearly 200 structures destroyed, tens of thousands evacuated. The disaster unfolding in southern california. Good evening im john bastida. And im elizabeth cook. Nearly 6, six 66,000 acres have burned in the last 24 hours. Theyre battling three major fires threatening thousands of homes. The largest the thomas fire. Reporter i can tell you firefighters are focusing their fight on some flair ups. Tonight their worried about the wind. Its hard the to put emotions and words together. Reporter its one of at least 150 structures lost in a devastating wildfire in ventura. It looked like it was going to be saved then this happened. Its almost like an out of body experience. Reporter david chapel is one of tens of thousands of people evacuated in a hurry. When he came back his home was burned down to it studs. Im in shock i think. Im emotional but its like wow its all surreal
Nearly 6, six 66,000 acres have burned in the last 24 hours. Theyre battling three major fires threatening thousands of homes. The largest the thomas fire. Reporter i can tell you firefighters are focusing their fight on some flair ups. Tonight their worried about the wind. Its hard the to put emotions and words together. Reporter its one of at least 150 structures lost in a devastating wildfire in ventura. It looked like it was going to be saved then this happened. Its almost like an out of body experience. Reporter david chapel is one of tens of thousands of people evacuated in a hurry. When he came back his home was burned down to it studs. Im in shock i think. Im emotional but its like wow its all surreal at the moment. Reporter the result of santa ana wind gusts in combination with dry weather. No rain came in the month of november in california, so we have extremely dry fuels. Reporter at least 30 homes have b been lost with many more threatened. The foothill area is also home to
Oakland 37 degrees. In the 30s in oakland. Livermore 35. Chilly all around except San Francisco, the warmest spot. Right now, we are seeing a lot of yellow along westbound 205 and westbound 580 to the Altamont Pass out of tracy. Your cruising speed about 35 Miles Per Hour. Still in the green between 205 and 680. No accidents and stalls but a big backup at the bay bridge toll plaza in the cash lanes. Fastrak is good to go. 10 minutes from the maze into San Francisco. High winds today could fuel the wildfires burning out of control in Southern California. Crews are battling three major fires threatening thousands of homes. The largest is a 50,000acre thomas fire northeast of ventura. Governor brown has already declared a state of emergency for los angeles and Ventura County. More than 66,000 acres have burned since monday. 180 homes have been destroyed. Crews from the bay area are among 1100 firefighters on the front lines. Lets go now to Kenneth Craig in Ventura County where the high wi
Ventura county northwest of los angeles. Every time you see the flame coming up your heart sinks down and you keep praying and keep hoping. Reporter have you ever seen anything like this before . No. Im in shock. Reporter Governor Brown declaring a state of emergency. They dont know how many homes and buildings have been destroyed because of the intensity of the fire. Firefighters not only fighting flames but the strong windy conditions. The Water Systems rely on pump systems. So theyre electrically powered. That could account for some of the difficulties weve had, plus the enormous at of usage, stress on the water system. Theres a lot of different factors. Reporter President Trump tweeting on the fires, offering thoughts and prayers and encouraging residents to listen to local officials. Obviously, the winds are a huge factor in this firefight. Abc7 weather anchor spencer is here. At the surface, the wind varies widely. From calm winds to gusts up to 40 miles per hour. Heres a look at
In southern california, as firefighters struggle to contain windwhipped wildfires, a situation that will probably get worse before it gets better. Thanks for joining us. Im kristin zee forr alma daetz. These fires are coming up to land marks. The biggest is the thomas fire in Ventura County where 150 homes and roughly 100 square miles have burned, an area twice the size of San Francisco. The newest has burned near the getty museum. So far the museum is unharmed but four homes have burned down nearby. We get a look on the ground. Reporter terrifying images along a freeway in los angeles. Part of interstate 405 shut down. Nearby, flames surrounded the iconic getty museum. Its just one of several fires raging out of control in southern california, scorching tens of thousands of acres, firsti forcing evacuations and shutting down schools. The thomas fire burning in Ventura County northwest of los angeles. Every time you see the flame coming up your heart sinks down and you keep praying and