A photo of exhausted Kern County firefighters battling the Thomas Fire in Montecito finally got a chance to shut their eyes, sleeping outside, after working incredible 24-hour shifts.
The 272,800-acre Thomas blaze, just within 500 acres of becoming the largest in state history, had been burning for 18 days. It was 65 percent contained by Friday.
The firefighters' photo struck a chord with many across social media after it went viral.
Many recognized that the firefighters were away from home battling the blaze so that other Southern California residents would still have a home for the holidays.
