Major fires remain uncontained, while the death toll and missing continue to rise.
Joseph Grado and his wife, Susan Grado, comfort each other at the East Avenue Church wildfire shelter on November 12 in Chico, California. Their home in the town of Paradies, the epicenter of the Camp Fire, was destroyed. Photo: AP.
Northern California officials announced on November 14 that 130 people were missing in the Camp Fire, and dozens more were still unaccounted for. Search crews found eight more bodies, bringing the total number of people killed in the Camp Fire to 56 and the total number of people killed in wildfires in the state to 59, according to CBS.
Many of the missing are between the ages of 89 and 90. More than 9,000 people, including 100 National Guard troops, are involved in the search and rescue effort. California officials have stressed that the search for the missing could take weeks.
“We want to expand the search area as quickly as possible,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea. “This is a very difficult task.”
Rescuers search for survivors in the Camp Fire in California on November 13. Photo: AP.
The California wildfires have destroyed more than 8,800 structures, including 7,600 homes. About 52,000 people have been evacuated.
The Camp Fire is the largest, followed by the Woolsey and Hill fires 500 miles away in Southern California. The Camp has burned nearly 200 square miles and is 35 percent contained, while the Woolsey has burned nearly 150 square miles and is 47 percent contained. The Hill Fire is the smallest, burning 40 square miles and is 94 percent contained.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but two nearby power companies reported electrical failures shortly before the fire broke out. A National Weather Service official said air quality in the area will remain poor, with only light winds in the valley. Conditions should improve over the weekend as stronger winds push the smoky air out.
Location of three major fires in California. Photo: Business Insider.
Leave a Reply