A fire in California kills two children and a great-grandmother in flames in the town of Redding

Published

July 29, 2018 10:56:13

Two young children and their 70-year-old grandmother died in a bushfire in the Californian town of Redding with devastating speed.

Sherry Bledsoe confirmed the death of her grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, and her children, James Roberts, five, and Emily Roberts, four.

The so-called Carr fire started burning on Monday (local time) and Thursday jumped the Sacramento River and entered the Redding City limits at around 370 kilometers north of San Francisco. A bulldozer operator who died while working to contain the fire was identified as an 81-year-old man from a small community east of Sacramento while the death toll was five.

He was identified by Don Sha Ray. Smith from Pollock Pines. He was caught by the flames while he was working and his body was found on Thursday.

Authorities have previously identified another deadly firefighter, Redding Fire Department Inspector Jeremy Stoke, who was killed on Thursday night.

The Bledsoe lived near the neighborhood of Keswick Estates, and their house, like many around it, was burned to ashes. The tragedy leaves Ed Bledsoe without his wife and the great-grandchildren whom he adored

"He lost everything, everything, you can not lose more than the family, and you lose more and more?" said Don Kewley, whose girlfriend is one of Bledsoes' granddaughters.

"The man has the shirt on his back and the pants on the waist, like that."

million. Bledsoe was out on Thursday to stock up thinking that the flames were far away, but while he was shopping he was desperately apprehended by his great-grandson. The boy said that he had to go home because the flames were closing.

"We need your help," said the boy, according to Jason Decker, who is the boyfriend of another Bledsoe granddaughter. in imminent danger and Melody Bledsoe had no car

M. Bledsoe rushed home, but was fired by the police. The fire was raging and there were walls of flames.

A day later, what was left of the Bledsoe property was surrounded by crime scene tape

M. Decker says his own kids were playing with James and Emily and that the kids "I do not even have more tears to cry about," Decker said. "But I continue to find them."

AP

Topics:

bushfire,

fires,

United States