The so-called Thomas Fire, the fourth-largest in California history, was 35 per cent contained last night after sweeping about 1,036 square kilometers of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since it erupted December 4.
Between Thursday night and yesterday, the blaze claimed another 3,000 acres as it fed on brush and timber killed by California's long drought or a week of hot, dry weather.
Firefighters continued to carve firebreaks above the communities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Summerland and Montecito and state fire officials said evacuations would be called as needed as flames advanced.
The fire already has destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, including well over 700 homes, and threatens 18,000 more structures.
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Another focus of firefighting was on the eastern flank in canyons where a state firefighter was killed Thursday near the agricultural town of Fillmore.
Iverson was an engineer with a strike team from the San Diego area and had been with Cal Fire since 2009. He is survived by his wife, who is pregnant, and a 2-year-old daughter, as well as his parents and other family.
The National Weather Service forecast extreme fire danger or "red flag" conditions through at least this evening, with winds gusting to 40 mph in the Santa Barbara County mountains where the fire is burning. Firefighters were facing first northerly "sundowner" winds through the night that could turn into northeasterly Santa Ana winds, driving the flames in another direction.
Firefighting costs were approaching $89 million.
Meanwhile, firefighters continued to deal with the loss of their own. All 17 of the firefighters on Cory Iverson's five-engine strike team were pulled off the fire lines after his death.
On Thursday night, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean called for a moment of silence during a meeting for Fillmore residents.
It was the second death linked to the fire. The body of a 70-year-old woman was found in a crashed car on an evacuation route last week.
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