When Did Woolsey Fire Start? Blaze Spreads To 97,000 Acres

The Woolsey Fire in California spread to 97,000 acres on Sunday and was 91 percent contained. The blaze, which started southeast of Simi Valley, California, Nov. 8, has destroyed 1452 structures so far, in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, but the number could go up, as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection department tally the final damages.

The worst hit were cities like Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Chatsworth, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Malibu. The fire also claimed three victims — two people in Malibu and another near Agoura Hills. Evacuation orders for Ventura County were lifted and some parts of Los Angeles County was being repopulated Sunday, CW-affiliated KTLA reported. To search for the evacuation status of a specific area of the counties, click here.

The exact cause of Woolsey Fire is still unknown, although it reportedly started near the Santa Susana Field Lab, a former rocket engine test and nuclear research facility, sparking rumors — fueled by reality TV star Kim Kardashian’s tweet — that the air near the burnt research site was “potentially radioactive.”

Findings released by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health after testing the air using radiation detection devices stated that there were "no discernible level of radiation in the tested area." The report was reaffirmed by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, which said that "previously handled radioactive and hazardous materials were not affected by the fire."

As firefighters struggled to contain the spread of the fire, they had a new hurdle ahead of them as weather forecasters expected rainfall in the area Wednesday, which could result in extreme fire behavior. The blaze, if not a 100 percent contained by then, could be aggravated by winds expected to reach speeds of up to 50 mph.

Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, told Ventura City Star there was a 20 percent chance that the amount of precipitation in the area could trigger a debris flow. Another cause for worry were rock falls on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), due to rain and the fact that the surrounding vegetation had been burnt off, which would block the route that connects Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

"PCH gets rock falls in a dry year with no fires," Hoxsie said. "That is certainly something people should be watching for this year.”

The City of Thousand Oaks tweeted saying that sandbags, used to barricade homes against mudslides during heavy rain, were stocked at the city's Municipal Service Center and available for free for anyone to use. “Be ready for rain: TO residents near fire areas can pick up free, pre-filled sandbags at the City's Municipal Service Center, 1993 Rancho Conejo Blvd. (Visitor's Parking Lot). Fill your own at any VC Fire Station. Homeowners Guide explains sandbag use,” the tweet said.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said there was a good chance that Woolsey fire would not be completely put out before the rains arrived. "It's a disheartening situation," Honea said. "As much as I wish we could get through this before the rains come, I don't know if that's possible." Fire officials said they were estimating the blaze would be brought under control by Thursday.

Meanwhile, another devastating wildfire in California – the camp fire in Butte County – continued to burn, spreading to 150,000 acres, with only 65 percent contained. It had claimed the lives of 77 people with 993 still unaccounted for and 10,364 residences burnt.

President Donald Trump toured the site of the camp fire Saturday, after which California Gov. Jerry Brown said POTUS had assured him federal funding to fight the fires will not be cut.

"The president not only has signed a presidential declaration giving California substantial funding, but he said and pledged very specifically to continue to help us, that he's got our back," Brown said Sunday, CBS News reported. "And I thought that was a very positive thing."