American Airlines has joined United Airlines in offering a cancellation and change waiver for customers with flights affected by the California wildfires.
Customers on both airlines who are scheduled to fly to, from or through Santa Barbara through December 15 can rebook through December 20 between the same city pair in the same cabin. Customers on American Airlines can rebook in a different cabin class by paying the difference.
Cal Fire reports that the Lilac Fire in San Diego county is 95 percent contained and that mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted, allowing residents to return to their homes. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Skirball Fire in Los Angeles, which forced the closure of the Getty and Skirball centers last week, was 85 percent contained as of Monday evening.
According to the Seattle Times, evacuation orders were still in place Wednesday for Montecito, Summerland, Carpinteria and Fillmore. Officials say they have created containment lines surrounding approximately one quarter of the Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Forecasts, however, call for continued difficult firefighting conditions through the end of the week as high Santa Ana winds and dry air continue to fuel the blaze.
Since breaking out December 4, the Thomas Fire has destroyed over 900 structures, including 700 homes, ranging across almost 370 square miles of southern California, the Times reports. That makes it the fifth largest wildfire in state history.
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