Local firefighters on their way to fight the Thomas Fire in Ventura County

Over 60 fire-fighting personnel from the Tahoe Basin Operational Area have been deployed to the Thomas Fire which is burning out of control in Ventura County, Calif. 15 engines, making up three strike crews, will be joining one thousand others fighting the fire which started at approximately 6:28 p.m. Monday evening.

Engines assigned to the numerous strike teams deployed include; Tahoe Douglas Fire, East Fork Fire, Truckee Fire, North Tahoe Fire, Lake Valley Fire, Truckee Meadows Fire, Sparks Fire, Amador Fire, Mule Creek Fire, North Lake Tahoe Fire, Carson City Fire, South Lake Tahoe Fire, Central Lyon County Fire, and Fallen Leaf Fire. Carson City has also sent an engine and strike team.

The Thomas Fire has burned over 45,500 acres, causing 27,000 people to be evacuated and 150 structures to be destroyed.

Governor Brown has called a State of Emergency for the area.

The Thomas fire is being managed in Unified Command with Ventura County Fire, City of Santa Paula FD and Ventura City Fire.

A fourth strike team has recently been ordered to assist with an additional wildfire burning in Southern California. Resources assigned to the fourth strike team are in the process of being assigned to the incident.

Within the California OES Region IV, over ninety engines have been deployed to assist with the fires.