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The Thomas Fire was a massive wildfire that affected Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and one of multiple wildfires that ignited in southern California in December 2017. It burned approximately 114,078 ha before being fully contained on January 12, 2018, making it the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time. It was surpassed by the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex, in August 2018.
The fire is currently the seventh-largest wildfire in modern California history, as of 2021. The fire was officially declared out on June 1, 2018, after more than two months in which no hotspots were detected.
The Thomas Fire destroyed at least 1,063 structures, while damaging 280 others; and the fire caused over $2.2 billion (2018 USD) in damages, including $230 million in suppression costs, becoming the seventh-most destructive wildfire in state history at the time.
As of August 2020, the Thomas Fire is California's tenth-most destructive wildfire. Ventura's agriculture industry suffered at least $171 million in losses due to the Thomas Fire.
By January 2, 2018, the Thomas Fire had cost over $204 million to fight, and had forced over 104,607 residents to evacuate. At its height, the Thomas Fire saw over 8,500 firefighters mobilized to fight it, which is the largest mobilization of firefighters for combating any wildfire in California history.
The fire began on December 4, north of Santa Paula, near Steckel Park and south of Thomas Aquinas College from which the fire was named. Fast-moving, it quickly reached the city of Ventura, where over five hundred residences were destroyed that night.
The fire destroyed almost as many residences in several rural communities amidst the rugged mountain terrain of Ventura County. The fire threatened the Ojai Valley, and on December 13, the fire completely surrounded the area, including Lake Casitas.
The fire began burning through the rugged Santa Ynez Mountains as it threatened several small communities along the Rincon Coast north of Ventura, expanded into the Los Padres National Forest, and reached Santa Barbara County. Firefighters concentrated on protecting the communities of Carpinteria and Montecito in the southern portion of the county as the fire burned in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains where access was difficult.
The unusually strong and persistent Santa Ana winds were the largest factor in the spread of the fire. Much of Southern California experienced the strongest and longest duration Santa Ana wind event we have seen so far this season, according to the National Weather Service.
The region experienced an on-and-off Santa Ana wind event for a little over two weeks, which contributed to the Thomas Fire's persistent growths in size. At its height, the wildfire was powerful enough to generate its own weather, qualifying it as a firestorm. There were periods of time when the fire was advancing at a rate of 0.4 ha per second. The winds also dried out the air, resulting in extremely low humidity. The area, along with most of Southern California, experienced the driest March-through-December period on record.
While November is the typical beginning of the rainy season in California, the first measurable rain for the area fell on January 8, 2018, more than a month into the fire. With the natural vegetation burnt, flash floods and mudflows damaged homes in Montecito when the rains arrived.
Evacuations were ordered or anticipated for neighbourhoods that sit below areas recently burned by the Thomas Fire and other wildfires.
By January 10, at least 21 people had been killed by the sudden flooding and debris flows that followed the heavy rains, which also destroyed over 100 homes.
More information: Ventura Country Fire Department
On December 4, 2017, the fire was first reported by a nearby resident at 6:26 p.m. PST, to the north of Santa Paula, near Steckel Park and Thomas Aquinas College, after which the fire is named. That night, the small brush fire exploded in size and raced through the rugged mountain terrain that lies west of Santa Paula, between Ventura and Ojai.
Officials blamed strong Santa Ana winds that gusted up to 97 km/h for the sudden expansion. Soon after the fire had started, a second blaze was ignited nearly 30 minutes later, about 6.4 km to the north in Upper Ojai at the top of Koenigstein Road.
According to eyewitnesses, this second fire was sparked by an explosion in the power line over the area. The second fire was rapidly expanded by the strong Santa Ana winds, and soon merged into the Thomas Fire later that night.
According to statements released by investigators on March 13, 2019, Southern California Edison was responsible for both ignitions.
Late on the night of December 4, the Thomas Fire reached the hillside neighbourhoods of Clearpoint, Ondulando, and Skyline in the city of Ventura and destroyed many single-family detached homes. Many people fled with little or no warning when evacuation orders were issued, as the fire had traveled 19 km in just a few hours.
On January 8, 2018, a winter storm began moving ashore in California, bringing heavy rain to Southern California and prompting mandatory evacuations in parts of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties, over potential mudslides in areas affected by wildfires. The storm intensified on the following day, with at least 100 mm of rain falling over the two-day period, before the rainfall ended on January 9, causing several major mudflows.
On January 12, 2018, the U.S. Forest Service declared the Thomas Fire 100 percent contained, at 281,893 acres.
Afterward, Los Padres National Forest officials continued monitoring the burn area of the Thomas Fire for hotspots. On March 22, 2018, InciWeb declared the Thomas Fire to be inactive and ceased providing updates.
On June 1, 2018, the Thomas Fire was officially declared to be out, after more than two months in which no hotspots were detected within the perimeter of the burn area.
Soon after the Thomas Fire started, officials began to investigate the cause of the wildfire. The Thomas Fire originated as two separate fires, with the first fire igniting on December 4 at 6:26 p.m. PST, on a cattle ranch on Anlauf Canyon Road near Thomas Aquinas College, while the second fire started about 30 minutes later, nearly 6.4 km north in Upper Ojai, at the top of Koenigstein Road. The newer fire quickly merged into the Thomas Fire later that night. Residents on Koenigstein Road have said that a transformer exploded, but officials have not confirmed this claim.
In March 2019, investigators determined that Southern California Edison's equipment had sparked both ignitions that became the Thomas Fire, but in a settlement with public agencies, the utility did not admit fault.
In September 2020, Edison announced a combined settlement of $1.16 billion with the insurance companies over the Thomas Fire and Montecito Mudslide.
On December 16, 2021 the California Public Utilities Commission approved penalties and permanent disallowances against Southern California Edison for violations related to the ignition of five 2017-2018 Southern California wildfires. Under a proposed settlement with the CPUC's Safety and Enforcement Division, SCE shareholders will pay a $110 million penalty to California's General Fund, incur a $375 million permanent disallowance for cost recovery, and contribute $65 million in shareholder funds to safety measures, for a total of $550 million.
More information: Wildfire Today
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