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Thomas Fire worst-case scenario includes parts of Santa Barbara, Ventura
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A whirlwind of embers is seen as the Thomas Fire approaches homes on December 12, 2017 in Montecito, California.
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As of Thursday, the Thomas Fire had burned 272,000 acres and was 60 percent contained. More than 1,000 structures have been destroyed thus far.
"We are now the second-largest fire in California history and we could very easily -- as we get our control lines together -- become the largest fire in California history," said Brandon Vaccaro, a spokesman for the California City Fire Department.
The Worst-Case Scenario
The incident map (above) showing the path of the Thomas fire includes a yellow line that’s far beyond the fire’s forward-most advance. It’s called a contingency line, and it’s what fire officials have determined is the worst-case scenario.
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The contingency line cuts into the heart of the city of Ventura, and through much of downtown Santa Barbara down to the 101.
Firefighters would use the freeway to stop the fire from burning the rest of the city down to the coast.
Other than using freeways as last stand areas, officials look for ridgelines and areas where past fires have burned fuel already when placing the contingency line, said Vaccaro.
"It’s easier for us to defend that than if it was 80-year-old dead vegetation," he said.
Barring a severe pick up in wind or other setbacks, tactics like controlled burns and bulldozer lines should keep the fire from reaching Santa Barbara or other nearby cities, said Vaccaro.
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