California.. Calm winds help fight fires

Weather of Arabia - Yesterday, calm winds contributed to firefighters slowing down the wildfires sweeping California, which were classified as the third largest fires in the history of the state, which destroyed 270,000 acres on the Pacific coast north of Los Angeles .

More than 8,500 firefighters are battling what they call the "Thomas Fire" in Southern California, which began on Dec. 4, has destroyed more than 1,000 buildings and threatened 18,000 others, including homes in affluent Montecito outside Santa Fe, officials said. Coastal Barbara .

The epicenter of the fire is located less than 160 km northwest of downtown Los Angeles and has forced more than 104,000 people to evacuate or seek shelter, turning entire neighborhoods into ghost towns and filling the air with smoke .

Officials at a news conference described Sunday as one of the most successful days in fighting the fires so far .

Firefighters were able to control the fires by 45%. Firefighters are deploying more than 970 fire engines and 34 helicopters to fight fires .

The California Fire Department said five of the 20 most severe fires in state history occurred in 2017 .

Thomas, whose cost the authorities estimate is about $123.8 million so far, has forced many schools to close for days, blocked roads and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. It is also responsible for poor air quality across Southern California, according to Reuters.