LOS ANGELES: Crews battling to subdue the remnants of a sprawling Southern California wildfire gained more ground on Thursday after a resurgence of winds proved weaker than expected, allowing officials to lift all remaining evacuation orders and warnings. “We didn’t really see the winds that were predicted,” said Brandon Vaccaro, a spokesman for the firefighting command. On Thursday, authorities canceled the last evacuation notices still in effect for Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Forecasts called for a return of mild Santa Ana gusts late on Thursday, “but it shouldn’t be anything that really challenges us,” Vaccaro said. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has estimated the cost of fighting the blaze at more than $167 million.

Source: New Strait Times December 23, 2017 03:11 UTC