The death toll rises to 5 in northern California



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The number of deaths from a growing forest fire in Northern California rose to five on Saturday following the deaths of two young children and their great-grandmother who died.

"My babies are dead" says Sherry Bledsoe crying After meeting Shasta County sheriff's members, Bledsoe's two children, James Roberts, age 5, and Emily Roberts, age 4, were stranded with her grandmother Melody Bledsoe, 70, when the fire swept the countryside.

These three people were among more than a dozen people missing after the furious fire took residents by surprise and razed several neighborhoods

Don Smith, a bulldozer operator of 81 years of Pollock Pines. , was killed when he was caught by the fire while helping to clear vegetation in the path of fire.

Redding fire inspector Jeremy Stoke was also killed fighting the fire that began Monday, while another firefighter died on July 14 in a fire near the national park Yosemite in the east of the state.

(CBC News)

The fire caused Monday by a vehicle in the wooded hills reached 328 square kilometers. It grew southwest of Redding, about 402 kilometers north of San Francisco and the largest city in the region with about 92,000 inhabitants, to the small communities of Ono, Igo and Gas Point. of those people alive and just out of touch with their loved ones. The police went to the homes of several missing persons and found that the cars were gone – a strong indication that they fled.

It is now the largest fires of more than 20 in California. The winds that helped firefighters keep the flames in more populated areas propelled it at a frightening pace.

The flames of the Fire Carr licks over a Cal Fire truck in Whiskeytown, California on Friday, July 27. [19659012] (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

"I do not know why he does what he does," said Cal Fire chief Steve Crawford. "It burns in all directions at the same time … It burns like there was strong wind even when there was no wind."

The last count of 500 destroyed structures would certainly increase; an account by the Associated Press found more than 300 homes destroyed. About 38,000 people are under evacuation orders, 5,000 homes are threatened and the fire is contained at 5%.

Trump issues an emergency statement for the state

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for California on Saturday, allowing counties affected by forest fires to receive federal aid. In a statement, the White House said the statement would open up the availability of necessary equipment and resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA.

Meanwhile, about 200 kilometers southwest of Redding, two mandatory evacuations in Mendocino County. The two fires, burning 50 kilometers away, began on Friday and threaten more than 350 buildings. The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office ordered the evacuation of residents of the Ukiah area, north of Highway 175. Residents of the nearby Benmore Valley Valley also received the order to leave on Saturday

. on 14 big forest fires across California.

A woman investigates the damage done to her grandmother's house after the so-called Carr fire burned through Redding on Friday. Officials say the extremely erratic wildfires in and around the town of Redding are growing rapidly, threatening thousands of homes and buildings. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

Large fires continued to burn outside of Yosemite National Park. San Jacinto Mountains in east Los Angeles near Palm Springs. By Saturday afternoon, these fires had burned more than 260 square kilometers. Yosemite Valley remains closed to visitors and will not reopen until Friday

In the Redding area, authorities were investigating reports of looting in the evacuated areas.

Roger Moore said people were circulating around evacuation areas. doors of houses still standing. No arrests were made, but they identified several suspects.

One hundred law enforcement officers and 260 National Guard soldiers helped evacuate and provide security in empty neighborhoods

Moore was among the many losers. 19659026] Carr Fire burns along Highway 299 in Redding Thursday (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

Greg and Terri Hill evacuated their 18-year-old Redding home on Thursday night with little more than drugs , photo albums, clothes and guns, baduming they would be back home in a few days.

They came back Friday to find a little more than ash

"It's quite moving," Terri Hill said. "But we will make new memories and get new things, everyone is safe."

The so-called Carr Fire swept the forest around Whiskeytown Lake, burning dozens of boats moored at a marina The soggy town of Shasta destroyed almost all of Keswick, a hamlet just off the coast. West of Redding

The fire crossed the Sacramento River and burned a path leading to the property where Melody Bledsoe lived with her great-grandchildren. A firefighter works to fight the murderous Carr Fire in a house in Redding, California on Thursday (Daniel Kim / The Bee of Sacramento by Associated Press)

Bledsoe's husband, Ed, who had the The couple's only car He had gone to buy provisions before the issuance of an evacuation order, said members of his family.

His great-grandson phoned him at the store to say that the flames were approaching and "we need your help". dating from one of Bledsoe's granddaughters.

Bledsoe rushed home, but was fired by the police because the fire was raging. He spent Friday searching the three in vain for refuge while Decker's girlfriend was posting desperate messages on social media for help in locating them.

Decker took his motorcycle to see the property and found smoking ruins too hot to enter. "It looked like a war zone," he said. "I could not feel death in the air, which is good.

While he was discussing the worst case, the remaining three locked themselves up as the flames closed, Decker gave hope on Saturday morning until he understand they dreaded.

"We had horrible news, I have to go," he said and hung up

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