First death in California wildfires reported, firefighters make progress

Authorities said Friday that a 70-year-old woman died in a car crash fleeing a large wildfire burning in Southern California, in the first fatality reported in six major fires in the region this week.

The Ventura County medical examiner said Friday that Virginia Pesola, of Santa Paula in Ventura County, died in a traffic crash "during active fire evacuation" on Wednesday night. The cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries with terminal smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. The crash was along an evacuation route.

The so-called Thomas Fire has burned more than 143,000 acres and has destroyed 401 structures since it broke out on Monday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. It was 10 percent contained Friday, officials said. The fire, like others burning in Los Angeles County and the city, have been whipped up by Santa Ana winds.

RELATED: Wildfire in Ventura County, California

There was some good news on Friday in the fight against the Thomas Fire. The city of Santa Paula, a community of nearly 30,000 east of the city of Ventura, lifted mandatory evacuation orders within city limits. Evacuation orders were also lifted in some parts of the city of Ventura.

"Very successful day on the fire line today,” Cal Fire Deputy Chief Mark Brown said at a Friday evening news conference.

The Thomas Fire has destroyed 158 single family homes in the city fo Ventura, 18 homes were destroyed in unincorporated areas of the county, and damage assessments are continuing in other communities, Todd Durham, the incident commander for Cal Fire Incident Management Team Four, said Friday night.

Related: Southern California wildfires grow, threatening more homes

More progress has been made in fighting the Skirball Fire, which broke out in the tony Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. That fire, at 475 acres, was 50 percent contained as of Friday evening.

RELATED: Faces of those impacted and battling the Ventura County, California wildfire

The Rye Fire that has burned a little more than 6,000 acres in the Santa Clarita area was 50 percent contained, and the Creek Fire that has burned more than 15,600 acres near the Los Angeles community of Sylmar was 70 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.

But a new fire that broke out in San Diego County on Thursday has burned 4,100 acres, and has destroyed 105 structures, Cal Fire said. It was 15 percent contained as of Friday night.

Related: Despite wildfires, here's why many in California plan to stay

Santa Ana winds, which send hot, dry air from inland into Southern California, are predicted to remain in some parts of the fire zones through Sunday. National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Thompson said that weak Santa Ana winds are predicted to blow across the Thomas Fire on Friday night before weakening Saturday, and will restrengthen Saturday night and into Sunday.

Advertisement