Rain can hinder search for victims of California wildfires



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Heavy rains could help contain the fire this week, but could also make things more difficult for teams that sort the ashes and earth in search of bodies.

Colleen Fitzpatrick, founder of California-based consulting firm Identifinders International, said the expected rain would turn the site into a "muddy mess" covered with wet ash.

"It will make things worse and stick to things and it will make it a lot harder to find leftovers," she said. "There is really nothing to be done about it, workers looking for leftovers are going to be trapped."

Pathologists at the University of Nevada, Reno, worked all weekend as firefighters picked up debris, collected burned bone fragments and photographed anything that could help identify the victims.

Rain could also increase the risk of landslides.

Heath Hockenberry, head of the National Meteorological Service's Fire Fighting Program, said that during "high-intensity" fires, the trees release gases that can form pockets and create a "very volatile, waxy layer under them." floor".

Meanwhile, the vegetation above the ground has been burned and the root system weakened. Overall, this creates a surface layer of soil that is "hydrophobic" or extremely water resistant, Hockenberry said.

"Throw a lot of water on this soil, then gravity will take over," he said.

In a mudslide, the top layer of soil gives way, causing rocks up to 56 km / h downhill (56 km / h), he said.

The storm, which is expected to be suffering from moderate winds of about 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km / h), could also cause problems for evacuees, hundreds of whom are sheltering in tents and cars. .

The number of people in need of shelter is not clear, but no less than 52,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.

Four hundred miles (644 km) south of Sacramento near Malibu, at least two inches of rain should fall on a second light, the Woolsey. We know that three people were killed. The group was confined to 94% Monday morning and had to be fully controlled Thursday at Thanksgiving.

Malibu's power supply was cut off Monday to allow repairs, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said.

The cause of the two fires is under study, but electric utilities have reported localized equipment problems at the time of their release.

PG & E stated that it could be held liable beyond its insurance coverage if its equipment was the source of the campfire.

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