California wildfire grows

Santa Barbara: Calming winds gave firefighters a chance to gain ground against a huge wildfire in coastal mountains northwest of LA but the blaze continued to surge west, endangering thousands of homes, as forecasts called for a renewal of gusty winds. The Thomas Fire was 35 percent contained after sweeping about 1,036 square kilometers of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since it erupted December 4. The blaze claimed another 3,000 acres as it fed on brush and timber killed by California's long drought or a week of hot, dry weather.