Rescuers recover bodies in fire-affected California

BLAZE RUINS. A Butte County Sheriff's deputy arrives in a destroyed house where a deceased campfire victim died on November 10, 2018 in Paradise, California. Photo of James Sullivan / Getty Images North America / AFP

PARADISE (USA) – Rescuers found several bodies on Saturday, November 10 in the charred remains of homes in a California city ravaged by the most destructive fire that hit the US state.

Firefighters are battling raging flames at both ends of California, but there is little hope of containing the flames any time soon.

More than 250,000 people have been ordered to evacuate a large area near the capital, Sacramento, and, in Southern California, from the resort town of Malibu, Hollywood.

In Butte County, Paradise, rescuers removed the human remains over a period of hours and placed them in a black hearse. Pieces of body were transported by bucket, while the intact remains were transported in body bags.

Until now, all deaths have been reported in paradise, where more than 6,700 buildings – most of which are residences – have been consumed by late hell.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced Saturday at 11 am the death toll, a number that seems ready to increase with the recovery of bodies in paradise.

"Our hearts are with those who are fighting the fires, the 52,000 evacuees and the families of the 11 dead," Trump told Twitter.

For miles around, you could see a sharp smoke in the sky around paradise, the sun barely visible. On the ground, the cars were reduced to metal carcasses, while the power lines were also gnawed by the flames.

The local population fled the danger, but the police informed Agence France-Presse that farmers have returned to control their livestock.

"The magnitude of the destruction we have seen is truly incredible and heartbreaking, and our hearts go out to all those affected by this situation," said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Emergency Services Bureau.

Governor-elect Gavin Newsom has declared the state of emergency to provide assistance to the most affected areas in this fire-prone state.

The northern fire, called the "campfire", which was unfolding rapidly in the north of the country, broke out early Thursday.

Attracted by strong winds, it has so far burned 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares) and is controlled to 20%, announced Saturday the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) . Up to now, three of the more than 3,200 firefighters deployed have been injured.

They estimate that they will need three weeks to completely contain the fire.

Local authorities have informed state officials that a breakdown had occurred near the place where the fire had broken out, reported The Sacramento Bee, but the Camp fire has still not been officially reported.

Trump, who was in France for the commemoration of the First World War, criticized online his somewhat unpleasant reaction to the devastation last Saturday.

"There is no reason for these massive, deadly and expensive forest fires in California, if it's that the management of the forest is so poor," Trump told Twitter.

"Billions of dollars are given every year, with so many lives lost, all because of the blatant mismanagement of the forests – cure now, or more of the Fed's payments!"

Malibu remains in flames
In southern California, several fires burned, including one just north of Los Angeles and another in Ventura County, near Thousand Oaks, where a Marine Corps veteran shot and killed 12 people in a music bar country Wednesday.

Authorities said some 200,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders, including in Malibu.

The "Woolsey fire" has consumed about 69,000 acres, destroyed at least 150 homes and has not yet been controlled, said the Ventura County Fire Department, adding that evacuation orders had been issued for some 88,000 homes in the county and the neighboring county of Los Angeles.

"We heard that this was going to happen, so we installed the sprinklers and cleaned the entire house," said Patrick Henry, a resident of Malibu. "We had enough time to put the dogs in the trunk."

Malibu is one of the most sought after places in California for stars in search of intimacy and luxury.

The reality TV star, Kim Kardashian West, who lives just north of the Malibu coast, revealed that she had been forced to flee her home.

"I have heard that the flames were shot down on our home property in Hidden Hills, but they are now more contained and have stopped for the moment," she said on Twitter. "I just pray the winds are in our favor."

Actor Martin Sheen, briefly reported by his son Charlie, actor, was also forced to evacuate.

"We're fine, we're at Zuma Beach and we'll probably be sleeping in the car tonight," Martin Sheen told Fox News 11, adding that it was the worst fire that he has seen for 48 years in Malibu. .

The forest fire reached Paramount Ranch, destroying Western Town sets used for hundreds of productions, including "Westworld", an HBO sci-fi series, announced officials and the network.

Director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that Bleak House, his museum of horror film memorabilia, was also on the way to the flames.

Total devastation
In paradise, the flames have destroyed hundreds of homes, a hospital, a gas station, several restaurants and many vehicles, officials said.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for more than 52,000 people in the scenic area at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

"The whole lower part of heaven is totally in flames right now," said Kevin Winstead, a resident of nearby Magalia, at KIEM TV.

"Not a house will stay standing," he said. "I am devastated."

The national meteorological service said Saturday strong winds and dry conditions are expected to continue throughout the weekend. – Rappler.com