The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:29 PM

Calm Winds Helping California Firefighters Gain Control of Enormous Southern California Wildfire

Crews taking advantage of calm winds will perform a controlled burn to remove swaths of dry brush as they build containment lines around Southern California's enormous wildfire.

Fire spokesman Capt. Rick Crawford said Tuesday that officials will remove potential fuels on the fire's northern edge so that when winds whip up again Wednesday "there'll be nothing left to burn."

He says residents near the city of Ojai could see new smoke from the controlled burn.

The blaze northwest of Los Angeles is the third largest in state history. It's 50 percent contained. Some evacuations were lifted Monday and Crawford says more residents are being allowed to return Tuesday.

However he cautions that homes are still threatened in parts of Santa Barbara County, where firefighters plan an aggressive air attack on stubborn flames.