Thomas fire

California’s Highway 101, a key north-south thoroughfare, remains closed in the coastal city of Montecito due to last Tuesday’s deadly mudslide, which has left the road filled with mud, water, and debris.

Media icon and potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Oprah Winfrey filmed herself wading through mudslide debris at her estate Montecito, California, and posted the footage to the Internet on Wednesday.

Several residents were confirmed dead in mudslides in the city of Montecito in Santa Barbara County, California, on Tuesday as firefighters staged dramatic rescues, extricating people from homes that had been filled with mud.

A mudslide shut down the 101 Freeway in Montecito, California, on Tuesday morning as heavy winter rains hit the region devastated by the recent Thomas fire. #BREAKING: Mudslide shuts down the 101 in Montecito. People asking to be rescued from

The Thomas fire in Southern California is officially the largest in the history of the state after burning through 273,400 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Associated Press.

The Thomas fire, which has scorched more that 270,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in Southern California, is set to become the largest in the Golden State’s history, according to predictions by AccuWeather.com.

The Thomas fire, which continues to ravage Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, is now officially the second-worst in the history of California — and is rapidly closing in on the top spot.

Firefighters appear to have succeeded in their epic battle to prevent the Thomas fire from sweeping into coastal towns in Santa Barbara County, including the city of Santa Barbara itself.

With firefighters gaining the upper hand as “red flag” winds die down, it appears that the bill for this year’s California wildfire season will come in at around $180 billion.

Downtown Santa Barbara, normally a vibrant holiday destination, is virtually empty as residents have evacuated the area ahead of the advancing Thomas fire, which continues to spread west, though firefighters are making progress.

Firefighter Cory Iverson, 32 died Thursday while fighting the deadly Thomas fire, which is raging across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in Southern California.

Firefighters in Santa Barbara County are racing to finish containment lines to restrain the Thomas fire before high winds arrive on Friday evening that could push the blaze further west and threaten the city of Santa Barbara itself.

An iconic cross in Ventura County, California survived the Thomas Fire that ravaged the area over the past week and was left standing in what many people are calling a miracle.

The Thomas fire in Ventura County and Santa Barbara County was still blazing strong as of Tuesday morning, while Southern California’s other wildfires were largely contained.

The California fire known as the Thomas fire, which has scorched Ventura County and now Santa Barbara County, is now the fifth-largest in the history of the state, reaching an extent of 230,000 acres on Sunday with only 10% containment.

Firefighters are bracing Sunday morning to stop a wall of fire that is advancing on Carpenteria and Montecito, two towns that line the southeast approach to Santa Barbara along Highway 101 and that stand in the direct path of the massive Thomas fire.

California Governor Jerry Brown blamed climate change for the California fires that have devastated the state this fall during a visit to assess the damage in Ventura County on Saturday.

New fires continued to spread throughout Southern California from Thursday into Friday as firefighters battled to contain those fires that have already been burning throughout the week, and dangerous weather persisted.

Los Angeles Police Department officers, Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters, and local volunteers have been working feverishly to save animals at risk from ongoing fires in the region.

Los Angeles firefighters are racing against predicted high winds Wednesday night and Thursday morning as several fires burn throughout the area — with very little containment, and more extremely dry and windy weather predicted.

Several new fires have erupted in Southern California in addition to the massive Thomas fire near Ventura, resulting in the temporary closure of Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles as smoke sweeps across the city. Santa Ana winds turned a

A masive wildfire that erupted overnight and burned over 30,000 acres has forced 27,000 people in Ventura County to evacuate their homes as 150 structures were destroyed, according to reports from local news and wire services.