Schools were closed across Ventura County in Southern California as a wildfire continued to burn Wednesday, threatening 12,000 structures. Dozens of homes have burned since the fire erupted Monday, 96 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles.
In Pictures: California Wildfires
![Flames from a wildfire leap above traffic on Highway 101 north of Ventura, California, Dec. 6, 2017.](https://gdb.voanews.com/1536bbb4-d0fa-4254-a39c-b6c9e500f21e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Flames from a wildfire leap above traffic on Highway 101 north of Ventura, California, Dec. 6, 2017.
![Rubble and burned vehicles line properties scorched by a wildfire, Dec. 6, 2017, in Ventura.](https://gdb.voanews.com/9a072d75-d4bf-4545-9bf6-721dc25275d1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Rubble and burned vehicles line properties scorched by a wildfire, Dec. 6, 2017, in Ventura.
![A firefighter battles a wildfire as it burns along a hillside near homes in Santa Paula, California, Dec. 5, 2017.](https://gdb.voanews.com/b802d0c5-a975-47e1-a21e-67bc6dc83fdf_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A firefighter battles a wildfire as it burns along a hillside near homes in Santa Paula, California, Dec. 5, 2017.
![Paul Mattesich hands a jar to his wife Erica Mattesich while sifting through rubble at his family's home in Ventura following a wildfire, Dec. 6, 2017.](https://gdb.voanews.com/571f3fcf-0566-4759-b6a9-7c63de68d54b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Paul Mattesich hands a jar to his wife Erica Mattesich while sifting through rubble at his family's home in Ventura following a wildfire, Dec. 6, 2017.