California wildfire rages, threatens communities

Crews battling a massive wind-driven California wildfire that has torched nearly 1,000 buildings and charred an area larger than New York City on Monday struggled to protect communities menaced by flames along the state's scenic coastline.

It has now been a week since the Thomas Fire ignited in southern California... and firefighters still have yet to gain the upperhand.

The wind-fueled fire has burned more than 230,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties... and is just 15 percent contained.

At a Red Cross shelter set up on Ventura's fairgrounds, volunteers are bringing in supplies for the 400 residents seeking safety.

Residents like Arthur Hurtz are still in shock.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTHUR HURTZ, WILDFIRE VICTIM, SAYING:

"Everything is just gone behind there, all of the hills behind there. It's not even, it's charred tree trunks. There is no vegetation, it's just dirt, it's like dirt it's just sand, it's like completely gone. I've never seen anything like it."

He and others here are among the 200,000 people across the entire region forced out by the Thomas Fire and several others in the past week.

Resident Ritchie Albert says 90 percent of the homes on his street went up in flames.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) RITCHIE ALBERT, VENTURA RESIDENT, SAYING:

"We will rebuild and it will be a new neighborhood but it won't be the same."

The Thomas Fire has torched nearly 1,000 buildings and is now California's fifth largest wildfire on record