California fire partially contained, but winds remain a threat

Despite gains on one of the largest wildfires in California history, officials said Wednesday unpredictable winds remain a threat. The Thomas fire has spanned nearly 370 square miles of Southern California and burned more than 900 structures, at least 700 of them homes, since it broke out on Dec. 4. Evacuations continued on Wednesday for the towns of Montecito, Summerland, Carpinteria, and Fillmore. Crews were able to carve containment lines around at least one-quarter of the blaze along Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, officials said Tuesday night, but they also warned there may be an increase in wind gusts into the end of the week. Arson investigators on Tuesday determined another fire, now put out, that destroyed six homes in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles was started by an illegal fire at a homeless camp near a freeway underpass.