(CNN) A woman whose body was found at a crash site along an evacuation route in Southern California became the first confirmed fire-related casualty in a series of raging wildfires that could gain strength this weekend.

Virginia Pesola, 70, of Santa Paula, was found dead in a car that authorities believe was involved in a crash Wednesday during evacuations near the Thomas Fire. The cause of death was "blunt force injuries with terminal smoke inhalation and thermal injuries," the Ventura County medical examiner office said.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday visited Ventura County, beset by the Thomas Fire, the biggest of the six fires currently raging. During his visit, Brown was expected to survey the damage and meet with affected residents and consult with government officials and emergency responders, his office said.

At an afternoon news conference, the governor praised the efforts of firefighters, law enforcement and conservationists as the state entered the sixth day of devastating wildfires.

But Brown also used his remarks to connect the ongoing fires to climate change, telling Californians that long wildfire fighting seasons "is the new normal."

"We know from the changing of the climate that it's going to exacerbate everything else," he said.

His visit comes as strong Santa Ana winds could again fuel the flames, the National Weather Service said. Wind gusts in some areas could reach 55 mph on Sunday, the agency said.

#RyeFire [update] off Rye Canyon Loop, west of Valencia (Los Angeles County) is now 6,049 acres and 80% contained. https://t.co/ZMx1UKojdE pic.twitter.com/ifVPAJoaHG — CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) December 10, 2017

The forecast could challenge firefighters, who by Friday had been able to halt the advance on three sides of the Thomas Fire, officials said.

"We continue to make real good progress on all of these fires," said Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott. "But we're far from being out of the woods on any of them."

Together, the half dozen fires have scorched more than 180,000 acres this week and have destroyed 792 structures, officials have said said.

The White House has approved California's request "for direct federal assistance to support the response" to the emergency, Brown's office said Friday. President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Latest developments

• Mobilization of resources: Nearly 1,000 fire departments across California are involved in firefighting efforts, Pimlott said, whether they're in Southern California or covering local fire stations elsewhere to battle new fires. Gov. Brown authorized the deployment of more than 1,200 National Guard men and women to the southern region of the state to lend aid.

• Power outages: About 3,600 customers were without power because of the Lilac Fire, About 3,600 customers were without power because of the Lilac Fire, according to San Diego Gas & Electric . More than 3,200 customers are still without power due to the Thomas Fire along the north coast, the Creek Fire in Sylmar and the Rye Fire in Santa Clarita, according to Southern California Edison.

Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames from a back-firing operation rise behind a home off Ladera Lane near Bella Vista Drive in Santa Barbara, California, on Thursday, December 14. Powerful Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions are fueling wildfires in Southern California in what has been a devastating year for such natural disasters in the state. Hide Caption 1 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Fire, smoke and ash from the Thomas Fire blanket Santa Barbara on Wednesday, December 13. Hide Caption 2 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A smoke-filled sky filters sunlight to orange around a surfer as the Thomas Fire continues to grow and threaten communities from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara on Tuesday, December 12, in Carpinteria, California. Hide Caption 3 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California People watch as firefighters battle flames in Carpinteria, California, on Monday, December 11. Hide Caption 4 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California As smoke obscures the sun, a Coulson C-130 air tanker turns to make a drop on a Carpinteria hillside on December 11. Hide Caption 5 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California As the Thomas Fire burns in the background, Dan Bellaart and his wife, Mary McEwen, comfort each other in their backyard in Montecito, California, on December 11. Hide Caption 6 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The Thomas Fire burns in the mountains near Carpinteria on Sunday, December 10. Hide Caption 7 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Firefighters battle a wildfire as it advances on homes in Carpinteria on December 10. Hide Caption 8 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A cloud of smoke overshadows downtown Ventura, California, on December 10. Hide Caption 9 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Horses are evacuated from the Laughing Dog Ranch as smoke from the Thomas Fire descends on the area in Ojai, California, on Saturday, December 9. Hide Caption 10 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The shell of a burnt-out bus is seen after fire swept through residential neighborhoods near Ojai on Friday, December 8. Hide Caption 11 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames rise as a fire approaches the Lake Casitas area of Ojai on December 8. Hide Caption 12 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball Fire swept through the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air on Thursday, December 7. Hide Caption 13 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Palm trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose in Ventura on December 7. Hide Caption 14 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita, California, on December 7. Hide Caption 15 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Fires surround a hilltop mansion in Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 6. Hide Caption 16 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California "Daddy, the home is gone," Amanda Lewis tells her family on December 6. The Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in Ventura. Hide Caption 17 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Smoke rises across Southern California in this image taken from the International Space Station on December 6. Hide Caption 18 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter makes a water drop on flames after the Skirball Fire swept through Bel-Air on December 6. Hide Caption 19 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames from the Thomas Fire burn above a truck north of Ventura on December 6. Hide Caption 20 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily on December 6. Reily's Ventura home was destroyed by fire. Hide Caption 21 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5. Hide Caption 22 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Smoke billows from a burning house in Los Angeles as the Creek Fire moves through the area on December 5. Hide Caption 23 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A man watches as a wildfire burns in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 24 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The Creek Fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 25 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A firefighter battles a blaze in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 26 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Antoine Hanna comforts his wife, Tammy, after firefighters saved their home in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 27 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California This Ventura apartment complex, seen on December 5, was destroyed by fire. Hide Caption 28 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A firefighter sprays water at a burning house in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 29 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Palm trees burn in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 30 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests on December 5. Hide Caption 31 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A man prepares to evacuate his house in Santa Paula, California, on December 5. Hide Caption 32 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A man tries to catch a horse that got loose in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 33 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Shrubs burn near a home in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 34 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California James and Josie Ralstin carry belongings retrieved from their home in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 35 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Firefighters work to put out a blaze engulfing homes in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 36 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The Thomas Fire burns along a hillside near Santa Paula on December 5. Hide Caption 37 of 37

• More injuries: The Lilac Fire has left three people with burn injuries and two firefighters hurt. One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation; the second continued working after a dislocated shoulder was popped back into place, officials said.

'It's not as important as my life'

The Creek Fire reduced Bob Brix's house to ashes, leaving him without a place to call home and destroying a cherished family heirloom. He could see the remains of an old piano that his grandfather, a composer, used to play.

"It's not as important as my life. It's the sentimental things I'm not going to be able to replace," he told CNN affiliate KTLA.

Brix was among thousands of residents who were allowed back into their neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Riverside counties on Friday. Losses were minimal for some, but many lost everything.

Before the mandatory evacuations were lifted, Kathy Sanborn slept in her car waiting to hear about the damage to her home in Sylmar.

"I don't have clothes. I don't have things that I need," she told KTLA. "I have things that I probably wouldn't have left in the house if I hadn't been so panicked."

The fires

The six blazes vary in size.

Thomas Fire: By Saturday, the largest of the fires had scorched 155,000 acres, with about 15% of it contained. At least 4,000 people were fighting it, Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kevin Donoghue said.

in the state's records. It's the biggest in Los Angeles since the Bel-Air fire in 1961 torched the homes of the rich and famous. The Thomas Fire started Monday in Ventura County and has since spread into Santa Barbara County. The blaze ranks as the 19th most destructive fire in the state's records. It's the biggest in Los Angeles since the Bel-Air fire in 1961 torched the homes of the rich and famous.

Rye Fire: It broke out Tuesday in Los Angeles County and has burned 6,049 acres. Firefighters are making progress, with 80% of the blaze contained.

Lilac Fire: This fast-moving fire has consumed 4,100 acres since it ignited Thursday in San Diego County. It exploded from half an acre to 500 acres in 20 minutes, according to San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn. It's 20% contained, and by Saturday had destroyed 105 structures and damaged 15 others, according to Cal Fire.