FILE – In this Dec. 6, 2017, file photo, a motorists on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north of Ventura, Calif. President Donald Trump has declared a major disaster in California over a wildfire that destroyed more than 1,000 buildings. The White House announced Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, that the president has granted disaster status, which will help make federal funds available to supplement recovery efforts in the wake of the Thomas Fire that ravaged Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) ORG XMIT: LA107
