Firefighters say the raging Thomas brush fire in Ventura County is turning out to be as bad as it looked overnight, with more than 45,500 acres of land burned, and 150 structures destroyed.
The fire picked of homes in a number of neighbors, with some burning in the hills right above Downtown Ventura. The fire forced an estimated 27,000 evacuations.
Flames extended from the Santa Paula area to the West Side of Ventura. One death has been reported in connection with the fire, It happened when someone evacuating was involved in a car accident.
The wind eased overnight in some areas, but forecast say the Santa Anas are expected to return later in the day on Tuesday.
