The ferocious Thomas Fire raging in Southern California has become the second-largest blaze in state history.

It is now just 5,700 acres shy of the massive Cedar Fire, which killed 15 people and burned just over 273,000 acres in San Diego in 2003.

Continued high winds forecast to last through Sunday afternoon will keep fire fighters working throughout the night, said Jude Olivas, a public information officer for the Thomas fire incident command.

"We have a continued red flag warning tomorrow as well, so we have to remain vigilant," Olivas said Saturday night. Red flag warnings are a National Weather Service designation for weather events that can result in extreme fire behavior.

The cost of fighting the fire now stands at $110 million, Olivas said.

A mandatory evacuation for parts of Santa Barbara and the wealthy enclave of Montecito affected as many as 33,000 people on Saturday.

So far two people have died in the fires. Firefighter Cory Iverson, 32, died Thursday, but authorities have not yet released the circumstances of his death. Virginia Pesola, 70, of Santa Paula, died in a car crash earlier this month while evacuating.

A veritable army of 8,300 firefighters, 400 fire trucks, 29 helicopters and 77 bulldozers fought the fire and by mid-afternoon it appeared that no structures had been lost on Saturday, said Olivas.

“That’s that we know of so far,” he amended. Crews have still not been able to reach all the fire-ravaged areas to do a full inventory.

The fire was so capricious Saturday that firefighters had to stand down from the front lines.

“The smoke is so thick in places, and the winds so strong and the fire’s behavior so erratic, it’s just not safe for us to have crews staying in the fire area,” said Joe Rosa, another public information officer.

The fire has burned more than 400 square miles northwest of Los Angeles and is only 40% contained. Forecasters expect strong Santa Ana winds to continue to whip the flames with gusts up to 60 mph. No rain is forecast and the National Weather Service reported the area is enduring its second-driest water season on record.

The area covered by mandatory evacuations continued to grow Saturday as high winds tossed hand-sized embers well ahead of the actual fire line, covering the entire area with thick, swirling smoke and making the leading edge extremely dangerous.

To deal with conditions, crews used what’s known as “fire front following.” They wait for the fire to burn through an area, then go in to hit hot spots.

The fact that fire has swept through an area doesn’t mean everything has burned to the ground, Rosa cautioned. The erratic nature of this fire means that some areas and buildings will have burned while others will have been spared.

“They won’t know what the conditions are like in there until they are actually are able to get in there. Once the fire has run its course in a specific area they’ll go on the offensive to protect the structures,” Rosa said.

In all firefighting, the No. 1 job is to preserve life, not just for the public but also for the firefighters.

“We want the firefighters to be able to go home as well," Rosa said.

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The Thomas Fire is burning in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and threatened mansions in the wealthy enclave of Montecito. Photos posted to social media showed a smoke column towering over the area, driven by the high winds.

Celebrities who own or have owned homes in the area include Oprah Winfrey, Drew Barrymore, Jeff Bridges, Rob Lowe, Malcolm McDowell, Al Gore, Megyn Price, Eric Schmidt, Jane Seymor and Patrick Stewart.

Television host Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday night tweeted a photo thanking firefighters after she and her wife evacuated the area. The fire has burned more than 1,000 buildings, including well over 750 homes, authorities said.

While the area is home to many celebrities and millionaires, Rosa was clear that to firefighters, each home is equal.

“We’re not going to give preferential treatment based on who someone is. If it happens to be a celebrity home we’re defending it. If it’s a local mechanic, we’re defending it," he said.

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