Fueled by high winds, the massive fire north of Ventura has burned 259,000 acres, Cal Fire said Saturday morning. Twelve thousand additional people were being evacuated Saturday from areas near the blaze, said Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office spokesman Brian Olmstead. Strong winds and dry conditions are expected to fuel the blaze and could spark new fires, CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said. Fire once again raging in Santa Barbara #ThomasFire- gusting winds a big problem- firefighters r amazing- keep them safe! — Jimmy Connors (@JimmyConnors) December 16, 2017"Fire once again raging in Santa Barbara," Connors tweeted.

Source: CNN December 16, 2017 11:26 UTC