Ellen DeGeneres says Santa Barbara home under threat of being burned by wildfires
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres says her Santa Barbara home is under threat of being burned by the Thomas Fire. "We just had to evacuate our pets. I'm praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters," DeGeneres tweeted Sunday.
In another tweet, she said everyone in the Montecito area was "checking up on each other and helping to get people and animals to safety. I'm proud to be a part of this community. I'm sending lots of love and gratitude to the fire department and sheriffs."
Everyone in the Montecito area is checking up on each other and helping to get people and animals to safety. I’m proud to be a part of this community. I’m sending lots of love and gratitude to the fire department and sheriffs. Thank you all. #ThomasFire
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) December 10, 2017
The Thomas Fire has scorched at least 200,000 acres as of Sunday evening and also interrupted transmission lines in the Santa Barbara area, leaving more than 85,000 customers without power. It erupted seven days ago and resulted in 88,000 people having to evacuate their homes, CBS Los Angeles reports.
Upwards of 4,000 firefighters have been deployed to the firefight.
"This fire literally started on the first day of our Santa Ana wind event, which it couldn't have started on a worse day," said Capt. Steve Kaufmann of the Ventura County Fire Department. "Last night, because we're still under the Santa Ana wind event, the fire activity increased overnight."
Another TV host took to Twitter late Sunday to send up prayers for those affected by the wildfires in Santa Barbara:
Peace be Still, is my prayer tonight. For all the fires raging thru my community and beyond. #peacebestill🙏🏾
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) December 11, 2017
This is the most destructive fire season on record in California. Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency this past week as raging wildfires, whipped by fierce Santa Ana winds and fueled by bone-dry brush, laid waste to tens-of-thousands of acres in Southern California.
Gov. Brown spoke to CBS News' "60 Minutes" in an interview broadcast Sunday night.
"The fire season used to be a few months in the summer, now it's almost year-long," Brown told CBS News' Bill Whitaker. "These fires are unprecedented. We've never seen anything like it. Scientists are telling us, 'This is the kind of stuff that's gonna happen.' And we gotta deal with it."