Thomas Fire

The Thomas Fire was a massive wildfire and it was the largest wildfire in California history and the 7th largest wildfire in the history of United States.

The unusually strong and persistent Santa Ana winds were the largest factor in the spread of the fire.

The fire began on December 4th, north of St. Paul, near Sticker Park, south of Thomas Aquinas College. Fast moving, and soon arrived in the city, more than 500 houses were destroyed that night. In the rugged mountains of Ventura County, the fire destroyed several rural community homes. On December 13, the fire completely surrounded the area, including Lake Casitas. The fire began to burn through the rugged St. Iniz Mountains, threatening several small communities on the Lincoln Coast in northern Ventura, spreading to the Los Padris National Forest and reaching Santa Barbara County.

After the fire was extinguished, the area that was on fire is larger than the area of the Los Angeles.

At least 1063 structures were destroyed in the fire. On December 23, the Thomas Fire was estimated to have done more than $120 million in property damage in Santa Barbara County.

Heavy rain on Jan. 10 led to even more destruction in Southern California. The winter storm led to 20 deaths and 28 injuries, in Santa Barbara County.

The air quality was a serious health problem during and directly after the fires. The Thomas Fire produced unusually high concentrations of particles over an extended period of time.