Multiple wildfires have burned homes and forced evacuations across Southern California, greatly impacting the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura, according to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide.

As of 11:30 a.m. EST on December 7, according to CalFire, more than 100 structures have been destroyed by the still active Thomas, Skirball, Creek, and Rye Fires, which have burned 116,080 acres in total.

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Extreme winds

Strong Santa Ana winds are worsening the wildfire threat, with wind gusts expected to reach 80 mph (equivalent to Category 1 hurricane winds) on Thursday, December 7, prompting the first purple wind warning — for extreme winds — ever issued for the area, which extends from San Diego to Santa Barbara and comprises a population of millions.

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Jayleen R. Heft

Jayleen Heft is the digital content editor for PropertyCasualty360.com. Contact her at [email protected].

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