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Fresno-area firefighters help battle massive blaze in Ventura County

Palm trees stand before a massive wall of flames as the Thomas Fire burns out of control in Ventura County.
Palm trees stand before a massive wall of flames as the Thomas Fire burns out of control in Ventura County. Ventura County Fire Department

A number of firefighters from the Fresno area have been assigned to help to fight the Thomas Fire in Ventura County.

Sent from Fresno are 11 firefighters, two engines and one water tender from Sierra National Forest, and 15 firefighters and three engines from Fresno Fire Department.

The wildfire swept into the city of Ventura early Tuesday, burning 50,000 acres, destroying homes and forcing more than 27,000 people to evacuate.

About 3,000 homes were evacuated, a firefighter was injured and Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Ventura County as some 1,000 personnel continued to battle the blaze.

The Los Angeles Times contributed. Carmen George: 559-441-6386, @CarmenGeorge

This story was originally published December 5, 2017 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Fresno-area firefighters help battle massive blaze in Ventura County."

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