Death toll exceeds 50 as town of Paradise ravaged by fire

Despite a hostile exchange between US President Donald Trump and emergency authorities at the weekend, Brown told media that President Trump had promised the full support of the US federal government.

“California stands in the same position, we will help out in every way we can,” Brown said. “Now is the time for solidarity and understanding and let’s learn how to do this together in the best way we can.”

Two major fire fronts have been burning for almost six days, incinerating almost 100,000 hectares of ground, destroying more than 10,300 structures and forcing the evacuation of around a quarter of a million people.

The main fire in northern California, the “Camp” fire, has claimed 56 lives, many of them in the small community of Paradise, which has been virtually wiped off the map by the inferno.

Authorities say the Camp fire is now 35 per cent contained.

The largest fire in southern California, the “Woolsey” fire, has claimed three lives; it is now 47 per cent contained and authorities say it could be under control by early next week.

The Woolsey fire has also reached the location of a former nuclear testing site, prompting concerns from locals that the fire could interact with radiation or chemical contamination in soil and vegetation at the site.

The site, the Santa Susana Field Lab, was a built in 1947 on a 1153 hectare site and used to test experimental rocket systems. The site was closed after a partial meltdown in 1959.

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A 1989 Department of Energy report found contaminants in the soil and vegetation on the site; a 2012 Environmental Protection Authority report said one in seven samples collected at the site contained “concentrations of radioactive materials exceeding background levels”.

Authorities said on Wednesday the site was inspected by the Department of Toxic Substance Control which reported that “previously handled radioactive and hazardous materials were not affected by the fire.”

The department said its staff had tested the site and the results “showed no radiation levels above background levels, and no elevated levels of hazardous compounds other than those normally present after a wildfire.”

“Our scientists and toxicologists have reviewed information about the fire’s location and do not believe the fire has caused any releases of hazardous materials that would pose a risk to people exposed to the smoke,” the department said.

There are now 8700 firefighters working to battle the fires, including deployments from other US states.

Cal Fire has confirmed there are no Australian crews deployed; a contingent of Australian and New Zealand firefighters were sent to the US to badist with California’s bushfires in July.

The NSW ministry of emergency services confirmed to Fairfax Media those crews returned home in September.

Authorities also confirmed the arrest of six people in northern California on suspicion of looting.

The Butte County sheriff’s office said the six were arrested after patrols of the fire-affected areas reported people inside the perimeter of an evacuated zone.

A spokesman said deputies had recovered an AR-15 rifle, a .45-caliber handgun, methamphetamine, heroin and other drug paraphernalia during the arrests.

In addition, they recovered an all-terrain vehicle which had been reported stolen.

The six were charged with a range of crimes, including felony possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of a stolen vehicle, suspicion of vehicle theft and looting.

Meanwhile, the power utility Pacific Gas & Electric Company, whose power lines may have been a trigger for the northern California fires, warned if that was proved true the company’s liability would exceed its insurance coverage.

The company has previously said it advised state authorities that a transmission line in the vicinity of the first report of the Camp fire went offline just prior to the blaze starting.

In an updated statement, the company has now said if it is ultimately proved their equipment caused the fire, it “would be expected to have a material impact on [the company’s] financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows.”

A spokesman for the company said it was “focused on supporting first responders and badisting customers and communities impacted” by the fire.

Of the two fires, the northern California Camp fire is by a long measure the more devastating in terms of lives and structures lost.

But the southern California Woolsey fire has attracted as much media attention because it has affected Malibu, a beachfront city north of Los Angeles which is home to high-profile celebrities.

The Camp fire has destroyed more than 10,000 sructures, according to authorities, while the Woolsey fire has destroyed around 500.

Because of its proximity to the residential outer fringe of Los Angeles authorities say the Woolsey fire presently threatens an additional 57,000 structures.

Australian actor Liam Hemsworth is one of those affected by the Woolsey fire, posting images on social media of the burnt-out ruins of his Malibu home; among the ruins is an arrangement of stone letters spelling the word “love”.

“It’s been a heartbreaking few days,” Hemsworth said. “This is what’s left of my house. Love.

“It was amazing to see the community pulling together to help each other out in any way they can,” Hemsworth said. “Malibu is a strong community and this event is only going to make it stronger.”

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Speaking at a ceremony marking Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, US President Donald Trump said the California fires were “the likes of which we’ve never seen before”.

“We mourn the lives of those lost and we pray for the victims,” Trump said.