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The Latest: Massive California wildfire half contained

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on California wildfire (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

Officials say firefighters in Southern California have reached the halfway point in their attempt to corral a massive wildfire.

But state fire Deputy Chief Mark Brown says before the fire is fully contained, the blaze will almost certainly become the biggest in state history.

Brown says favorable conditions allowed firefighters to make excellent progress Monday and reach the 50 percent containment milestone on the blaze burning in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

It has now spread to about 423 square miles, making it the third biggest since accurate records were kept starting in 1932.

The largest, the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego County, burned about 427 square miles.

Officials estimate the blaze will be contained by Jan. 7.

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5:15 a.m.

Crews on the lines of Southern California's enormous wildfire hope to take advantage of a two-day window of calmer winds before potentially dangerous gusts return at mid-week.

The blaze that broke out two weeks ago Monday still threatens thousands of homes northwest of Los Angeles.

Fire spokesman Capt. Rick Crawford says cooler temperatures, slightly higher humidity and light winds forecast for Monday and Tuesday will be "critical" for firefighters hoping to make progress against the Thomas Fire. The hot, gusty winds that caused a huge flare-up and forced more evacuations over the weekend are expected to come back Wednesday.

Evacuation orders remain for swaths of Santa Barbara County, including the hillside communities of Montecito and Summerland.

The 422-square-mile (1,093-sq. kilometer) blaze has destroyed more than 700 homes. It's 45 percent contained.

In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, firefighters and a bulldozer from Santa Barbara County Fire watch from El Camino Cielo as a helicopter readies to make a water drop on a hot spot above Montecito, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a Bombardier 415 Super Scooper aircraft comes in for a water drop below East Camino Cielo in the hills above Montecito, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. Thousands of firefighters tried Sunday to shield coastal communities from one of the biggest wildfires in California history while a funeral procession rolled past burn-scarred hillsides in honor of one of their colleagues who was killed battling the flames. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a Bombardier 415 Super Scooper makes a water drop on hot spots along the hillside east of Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. One of the largest wildfires in California history is now 40 percent contained but flames still threaten coastal communities as dry, gusty winds are predicted to continue. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane makes a water drop on hot spots along the hillside east of Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. One of the largest wildfires in California history is now 40 percent contained but flames still threaten coastal communities as dry, gusty winds are predicted to continue.(Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a pair of firefighting water dropping helicopters pass while working on hot spots along the hillside east of Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. One of the largest wildfires in California history is now 40 percent contained but flames still threaten coastal communities as dry, gusty winds are predicted to continue. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a Bombardier 415 Super Scooper makes a water drop on hot spots along the hillside east of Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. Wind gusts of up to 52 mph have been recorded in the area using a hand held weather device. The Office of Emergency Services announced the orders Saturday as Santa Ana winds pushed the fire close to the community. The mandatory evacuation zone is now 17 miles long and up to 5 miles wide, extending from coastal mountains northwest of Los Angeles to the ocean. Winds in the foothill area are hitting around 30 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane makes a water drop on hot spots along the hillside east of Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. One of the largest wildfires in California history is now 40 percent contained but flames still threaten coastal communities as dry, gusty winds are predicted to continue.(Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, firefighters standing guard and providing structure protection at a home off Gibraltar Road watch as a bucket full of water is dropped from a helicopter onto a hot spot nearby in Santa Barbara, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 17, 2017. The fire has burned more than 700 homes and currently threatens communities in Santa Barbara County. Some 8,000 firefighters are deployed to the so-called Thomas Fire, which has burned for nearly two weeks and still threatens 18,000 homes. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
In this Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, flames burn near power lines in Sycamore Canyon near West Mountain Drive in Montecito, Calif. One of the largest wildfires in California history is now 40 percent contained but flames still threaten coastal communities as dry, gusty winds are predicted to continue. Some 8,000 firefighters are deployed to the so-called Thomas Fire, which has burned for nearly two weeks and still threatens 18,000 homes. Swaths of Santa Barbara County remain under evacuation orders. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) The Associated Press
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