Fires continue to ravage Calif.
WILDFIRES FANNED by sustained Santa Ana winds continued to wreak havoc across Southern California on Friday as blazes in Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura counties killed one person, destroyed nearly 700 homes and buildings, evacuated hundreds of thousands of people, left thousands without power.
In northern San Diego County, the Lilac fire continued to burn, holding at 4,100 acres from the night before with no containment. More than 1,000 firefighters were battling the blaze, which roared through Bonsall and into Oceanside.
At least three people were injured and 25 horses were killed at a thoroughbred training center. At least 85 structures have been destroyed, including a number of mobile homes, authorities said. President Trump approved a California disaster declaration Friday morning. He ordered federal aid to the area and put the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of disaster-relief efforts.
The Lilac fire is one of a half-dozen major fires burning across Ventura, San Diego, Los Angeles and Riverside counties, and comes as the National Weather Service extended a red-flag fire warning into Sunday.
Of all the fires in Southern California, the Thomas fire in Ventura County is still the largest, spanning 132,000 acres from Santa Paula to the coast. It was 10% contained as of Friday morning, authorities said.
The first fire-related death was confirmed Friday by the Ventura County medical examiner’s office. Virignia Pesola, 70, of Santa Paula, was found dead Wednesday night along an evacuation route.
Her death was caused by crash injuries, smoke inhalation and burns, the medical examiner’s office said.