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Volunteers searching for human remains following the forest fire that destroyed the Californian city of Paradise were delayed in their work on Friday, when a downpour turned the ashes of fire into a thick paste, making research more difficult bone fragments.
Craig Covey, who heads a research team in Orange County, southern California, said those who roamed the ravages of Paradise and two neighboring communities had not been asked to stop but that he had chosen to pause until the rain dissipated. Heavy rains and high winds toppled trees, increasing the risk of falling, he said.
"It's just not worth it. We are not saving lives yet, we are recovering lives, "said Covey.
The most deadly fire in the United States over the past 100 years has killed at least 84 people and more than 560 people are still missing. Despite the mild weather, more than 800 volunteers searched for Thanksgiving remains and again Friday, two weeks after the flames swept the Sierra Nevada hills, authorities said.
The Covey crew of about 30 people had been working for several hours Friday morning before stopping and returning to a staging area with hot coffee and food under two blue tents. An electric radiator provided heat. While the rain made everyone colder and wetter, they kept the mission in mind, said volunteer volunteer Chris Stevens, a volunteer standing under an awning while the team waited for a game of heavy rain.
"Everyone here is very committed to helping people here," he said.
Two days of showers complicated the search, but also helped to quell the fire, said Josh Bischof, chief operating officer of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), adding that once the rain has dissipated, state officials would be able to determine if the fire is completely extinguished.
The camp's fire broke out on November 8 and destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings, most of which were dwellings. That's more than the eight worst fires in California's history combined, said Cal Fire, with thousands of displaced people.
Volunteers interrupted by rain Friday found other ways to help. Covey and several members of the team brought two big brown lunch bags to 64-year-old Stewart Nugent, who stayed at his home and fought the flames with a hose, a sprinkler and a sprinkler. shovel. He has been here for two weeks with his cat, Larry.
The first winter storm in California has dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain on the burned area since its start Wednesday, said Craig Shoemaker of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Sacramento. The NWS issued a warning about sudden floods and debris flows from areas devastated by major fires in northern California, including areas burned in Paradise.
Shoemaker said the rain had been steady, but forecasters predicted the heaviest showers in the afternoon.
"Up to now, we have seen about a quarter of an inch of rain falling per hour," he said. "We have to see an inch of rain an hour before we get into trouble."
He added that the rain should abate at midnight, followed by light showers on Saturday.
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