The so-called Thomas Fire burning in parts of Southern California now ranks as the largest wildfire on record in the state. The oppressive blaze has grown steadily since erupting outside Ventura on Dec. 4. By Friday evening, the fire had eclipsed all previously recorded blazes in the state dating back to the 1930s. It has now burned through 273,400 acres in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire, reported. The Cedar Fire, which previously topped the list, burned more than 273,246 acres in San Diego County in 2003.

Source: Huffington Post December 24, 2017 19:30 UTC