Santa visits California firefighters working to stop massive Thomas wildfire

— -- Many California firefighters are not going to be spending Christmas with their families as they battle massive wildfires in the state, so Santa and Mrs. Claus came to pay them a special visit on the job.

Because the Thomas fire is still raging in parts of Ventura County, ABC station KABC reports that more than 2,000 firefighters are working through the holiday.

The fire is now 86 percent contained, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, but there are still many workers on the job, ready to jump into action if there are flare-ups.

The firefighters at the Thomas fire base camp had a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus on Christmas Eve morning, with the Ventura County Fire Department sharing a group picture.

The caption said that Santa "knows a little about working during the holidays."

The Los Angeles Times reports that the fire isn't expected to be fully contained until Jan. 7.