California wildfires that wiped out over 1,000 residences and structures were well under control today with the majority of the fires contained by firefighters, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
The largest of the three fires, the Freeway Complex in Orange and Riverside Counties was 75 percent contained. That fire destroyed 155 residential structures and damaged 107 residences and commercial structures. However, the department said 1,000 structures remained threatened.
The Sayre Fire in Los Angeles County, located in Sylmar, Calif., is 70 percent contained and has engulfed more than 11,000 acres. The most recent reports say that 615 structures were either damaged or destroyed in this fire including the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar, Calif. where close to 500 homes were destroyed.
The first of the three fires, the Tea Fire in Santa Barbara County is 100 percent contained and burned 1,940 acres. This event was significant because it occurred around Montecito, Calif., home of a number of high-end homes belonging to show business celebrities. A total of 219 residences were destroyed or damaged.
Lower humidity and the lack of high winds have allowed firefighters to effectively contain the fires.
Insurers said that they have gotten crews out into the areas and are working on settling claims. However, they expect the process to take a while as homeowners are just beginning to return to their homes after being evacuated when the fires threatened.
"Once again, Southern California has seen the destruction of wind driven wildfires and once again insurers will be there to help policyholders put their lives back together," said Marc Racicot, president of American Insurance Association in a statement, adding that homeowners and renters should immediately contact their carriers to report any losses.
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