VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (CNN) – Flames light up the darkness as a new wildfire erupted overnight in Southern California while firefighters hoped for the best amid a challenging week.
Chief Mark Lorenzen with the Ventura County Fire Department explained, “We are in the middle of a big fight and we are about a week into this and the end is not yet in sight.”
The Maria Fire in Ventura County is just one of more than a dozen that have burned tens of thousands of acres up and down the state this week.
Slightly improved conditions for firefighters were expected Friday.
Wind speeds in Southern California, for example, forecasted far slower than the hurricane-force gusts earlier in the week.
Still, Red Flag Warnings are in effect as conditions like wind, humidity and temperature are ripe for fires and millions are on alert.
Ventura County resident Jess Guajardo said, “Everybody here in California, they are on their toes for anything that can happen, any little spark.”
In Riverside County, police said Friday the 46 Fire east of Los Angeles was sparked by the damaged tires of a car involved in a police pursuit.
And in the northern portion of the state, the state’s largest active fire, the Kincade Fire, continues to burn parts of Sonoma County.
CAL FIRE is expressing optimism about the fight on Friday. Operations Section Chief Jeff Ohs said, “Overall, the fire looks very, very good. I spoke with the air attack supervisor last night, and his comment was, ‘Everything looks good on the perimeter.’”
That blaze has been going since last Wednesday.
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