California wildfires: Death toll reaches grim milestone



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Butte County, California, November 11th, 2018

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EPA

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The town of Paradise has been all but destroyed by the wildfires

The death toll in wildfires sweeping California has risen to 31, with more than 200 people still unaccounted for, officials said.

Six more people were confirmed killed in the Camp Fire in the north of the state, taking the toll to 29.

That fire now equals the deadliest record in California – the 1933 Griffith Park disaster in Los Angeles.

In the south, the Woolsey Fire has been claimed by Malibu.

An estimated 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major blazes in the state.

California Governor Jerry Brown has urged President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster, a move that would be more federal emergency funds.

The appeal came to a day after Mr Trump was killed in California, blaming the fires on poor forest management.

What is the latest Fire Camp?

Emergency teams have been sifting through the remains of more than 6,700 homes and businesses in Paradise.

The town and surrounding area bore the brunt of the inferno, which started in nearby forest on Thursday.

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Reuters

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Residents of Paradise are in shock from the scale of destruction

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Media captionFleeing through flames: 'I'm so scared right now … so terrified'

At a news conference late on Sunday, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the bodies of five people were found in their burned-out homes and a sixth was found inside a vehicle. He said that more than 200 people were still unaccounted for.

The mayor of Paradise, Jody Jones, gave the BBC an update on the situation in the town.

"Most of the residential [area] is gone. I would say 90%, "she said." I had a chance to go up and take a look for myself. Just about everyone I know lost their home. "

The fire is the most destructive in the state's history and the joint deadliest.

It has burned more than 109,000 acres (44,000 hectares) and is nearly 25% contained, fire officials said.

What about the Woolsey Fire?

The blaze started on Thursday near Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles north-west of central Los Angeles.

By Sunday it had consumed 83,000 acres and destroyed at least 177 buildings, officials said. It is only 10% contained. The smaller Hill Fire, nearby, has scorched 4,530 acres and is 75% contained.

Some looting has been reported in the southern fireside over the weekend and the police said arrests had been made.

Luxury homes in Malibu and other beach communities are among properties that have fallen victim to the flames.

Hollywood actor Gerard Butler shared a picture of a charred house on Twitter, writing: "Returned to my house in Malibu after evacuating, Heartbreaking time across California." He thanked firefighters for their "courage, spirit and sacrifice".

Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, where the HBO series Westworld is filmed, was also destroyed.

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On Saturday, firefighters used to breathe from strong winds to drop fire in a bid to strengthen firebreaks.

But officials warned against complacency, with winds of up to 70 mph (112km / h) expected over the coming days. They said they could spread quickly and unexpectedly.

"Winds are already blowing up," said Los Angeles county fire chief Daryl Osby.

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Reuters

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Fire retardant is dropped on the Woolsey Fire near Malibu

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Getty Images

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The Woolsey Fire is only 10% contained

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AFP

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Luxury beachfront homes in Malibu

Meteorologist David Gomberg told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that fire tornadoes were possible.

What do the politicians say?

Governor Brown's request to President Trump was intended to be the answer to what he called "catastrophic" nature of the wildfires.

"We're putting everything we've gotten into the fight against these fires and this request to help communities," Mr Brown's letter said.

Mr Trump's response to the fires has been criticized as unsympathetic and ill-informed.

On Sunday, during a trip to France, he tweeted: "With proper Forest Management, we can stop the devastation constantly going on in California. Get Smart!"

He has previously blamed Californian officials for wildfires and threatened to withhold federal funding.

In a tweet on Saturday, he is in charge of the "gross mismanagement" of forests.

Mr Brown's spokesman, Evan Westrub, called Mr Trump's comments "inane and uninformed".

Why are the fires so bad?

Historically, California's "wildfire season" started in summer and ran into early autumn. But experts have warned that the risk is becoming a year-round.

The current fires are being blamed on a climate change and weather conditions.

Low humidity, warm Santa Ana winds, and dry ground after a rain-free month have produced prime fire-spreading conditions.

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The sheer number of people in California also helps explain the blazes' deadliness. The state's population stands at 40 million, almost double what it was in the 1970s, and the number living close to at-risk forest areas is rising.

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Getty Images

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Population density has been growing in areas that have been sparsely inhabited

And then there's climate change. Recent years have produced record-breaking temperatures, earlier springs, and less reliable rainfall.

Citing the role of a warming climate, Governor of the United States, said: "This is not the new normal, this is the new abnormal.

Musician Neil Young made the same link, writing on his website: "I have lost my home to a California wildfire, now another."

"We are vulnerable because of the weather and the extreme drought is part of it."


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