The worst appears to be over for a massive wildfire that plagued a wide swath of the Southern California coast for two and a half weeks.
All but a tiny handful of evacuation orders for the fire were called off by Friday.
At its peak, the fire drove about 100,000 people from their homes. Now only a remote wilderness valley is under an evacuation order.
The so-called Thomas Fire could very well still grow to become the biggest wildfire in California history, but it would do so as a gentle giant, not a raging beast.
The blaze was 65 percent contained and has burned about 1,100 square kilometres making it the second-largest in California's history.
About 18,000 homes and other buildings were still listed as threatened. Even when there's no sign of flame or smoke, fires can rekindle.
The Thomas Fire, which began Dec. 4, is responsible for two deaths and has destroyed at least 750 homes.


















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