Thousands of firefighters continued to battle a huge blaze north of Los Angeles Monday as officials predicted that the so-called Zaca fire would exceed any of California's previous rercorded fires, DPA reported. The fire has already burned over 800 square kilometres in the Los Padres National Forest and is expected to continue burning for weeks as California moves towards the peak of its fire season. "It's growing, and it may become the granddaddy of them all before this is over with," Maeton Freel, a fire information officer with the US Forest Service told the Ventura County Star. The fire has cost more than 83 million dollars to fight since it was ignited July 4 by sparks from equipment being used to repair a water pipe. It is currently 75 per cent contained and even the most optimistic projections do not envisage bringing it under control prior to September 7. Right now, the blaze ranks as the third largest in California history following the 1932 Matilija Fire, which scorched about 98 square kilometres. The largest fire is the 2003 Cedar Fire near San Diego, which burned more than 128 square kilometres, destroyed 4847 structures, and killed 15 people. So far the Zaca blaze has caused little damage, though officials on Monday urged the residents of some two dozen Ventura County homes to evacuate Monday. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for the county, a move that clears the way for state government assistance with costs related to the fire.
