Tech: 5 major fires are raging in Southern California — here's the latest size, location, and damage of each

Firefighters are battling five blazes throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Diego counties.

Firefighters are battling a series of out-of-control wildfires in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Diego counties, and the blazes are showing no signs of slowing.

A new fire, the Lilac Fire, broke out in San Diego County on Thursday evening, prompting further evacuations and school closures.

State officials say more than 168,000 acres throughout the region are burning from five major blazes. Over 5,000 firefighters have been deployed to combat the fires, and authorities have closed major highways, canceled school, and ordered close to 200,000 people to evacuate.

The fire danger was a 296 on the brush burning index on Thursday — a record high, according to CNN. The figure is calculated based on a range of factors including moisture levels, wind, and humidity. A rating above 162 is considered the most extreme risk.

While high winds subsided somewhat on Friday, forecasters are expecting gusts of about 60 mph.

The first and largest blaze, the Thomas Fire, started Monday night in Ventura County. The Creek Fire near Sylmar and the Rye Fire in Santa Clarita broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and the Skirball Fire, centered on the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood in Los Angeles, started Wednesday morning.

Here are the locations of all the fires, as well the most recent total acreage burning as of Friday morning.

Thomas Fire, Ventura County

The Thomas Fire is burning 143,000 acres and has destroyed at least 439 structures out of at least 15,000 threatened. Firefighters have contained 10% of the blaze as high winds continue to whip the fire.

Officials ordered further evacuations in the Ojai area as high winds pushed the fire closer to populated areas on Thursday. A woman's body was found near a vehicle in a burn area near Ojai, but officials have not yet determined a cause of death.

Creek Fire, Sylmar

As of Friday night, all evacuation orders were lifted in areas around Sylmar that were affected by the Creek Fire.

The inferno has burned 15,619 acres, and officials estimate it has destroyed at least 56 homes and damaged 45 others, according to the state fire agency Cal Fire. Another 49 structures were destroyed and 25 were damaged out of at least 2,500 threatened. Firefighters have managed to contain 70% of the blaze.

Rye Fire, Santa Clarita

The Rye Fire has burned 6,049 acres near Santa Clarita, and firefighters have contained 50% of the fire. Authorities said nearly 5,500 homes were still threatened as of Friday night.

Skirball Fire, Bel Air

The Skirball Fire, centered on the wealthy Bel Air neighborhood in Los Angeles, has burned 475 acres and is 50% contained, according to Los Angeles Fire Department officials.

The fire threatened the Getty Center, one of the world's most popular art museums, though the flames moved away from on Thursday. Six structures were destroyed and another 12 were damaged.

Lilac Fire, San Diego

A new fire in San Diego County — the Lilac Fire — started Thursday evening. It's stretching 4,100 acres and is 15% contained. It prompted a new round of evacuations and multiple school closures throughout San Diego.

As of Friday night, 65 structures were destroyed and some local road closures were still in effect, but several evacuated residents were allowed to return home, according to the local NPR affiliate KPBS.

These areas are under a "red flag" warning for fire risk as of Thursday. The high-risk zone extends from the Mexico border to Santa Barbara.

The National Weather Service is forecasting gusts of up to 60 mph on Friday, though the winds are expected to be less widespread than Thursday.

The dry winds have turned the region into a sort of tinderbox, and officials warn that even a small spark can ignite a massive blaze.

Here are the locations of the major blazes in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Diego counties as of Friday morning.

SOURCE - PULSE.NG posted by Campus94