Houston Chronicle Sunday

Raging wind-fueled blazes scorch southern California

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Flames swept through Santa Paula, Calif., on Monday, starting an inferno fueled by morepowerf­ul-than-usual Santa Ana winds that has scorched much of southern California.

The wind-driven wildfires have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands of evacuation­s in a string of blazes that have stretched across nearly 250 square miles.

The first fire-related fatality was confirmed on Friday as President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency.

It’s been an especially devastatin­g year for wildfires in California, with four of the deadliest in the last 12 months.

 ?? Noah Berger/Associated Press ?? The Thomas fire, the largest of the five blazes, burns through Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, Calif., on Friday.
Noah Berger/Associated Press The Thomas fire, the largest of the five blazes, burns through Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, Calif., on Friday.

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