California firefighters dig battle lines as dead toll mounts
- by Andrea Singleton
- in Global
- — Nov 15, 2018
Authorities have reported 13 more fatalities from a blaze in Northern California that destroyed a town, bringing the total death toll so far to 42 and making it the deadliest wildfire in recorded state history.
Wildfires aren't uncommon in California, so when they began, most people thought they might burn up a few square kilometres of land and then die out, Edwards said.
Firefighters battle a blaze at the Salvation Army Camp on November 10, 2018 in Malibu, California. The town, with a population of 27,000 was destroyed by the fire.
Honea's office has ordered an additional DNA lab truck and received help from two teams of anthropologists from California State University at Chico for the time-consuming and daunting task of searching for and identifying victims.
The blazes have been whipped up by hot dry winds expected to continue through Tuesday evening, according to officials.
Capt Steve Millosovich carries a cage of cats while battling a fire. The wildfires flared in two new locations on Monday morning in southern California, officials said. "It's a time to pull together and work through these tragedies".
In Southern California, KTLA is recommending United Way's L.A. and Ventura chapter and the Entertainment Industry Foundation for local aid.
The longtime environmentalist also took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump for suggesting on Twitter that the fire was due to poor forest management. Two more have perished near Malibu in the south of the state.
Drought and warmer weather attributed to climate change, and the building of homes deeper into forests have led to longer and more destructive wildfire seasons in California.
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The Woolsey Fire is threatening about 75,000 homes in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles.
Malibu and nearby Calabasas are home to hundreds of celebrities and entertainment executives who are drawn to the area's ocean views, rolling hills and large, isolated estates.
Meanwhile, the Times reported, the Hill fire, another Southern California fire, has pushed to the edge of Camarillo Springs and the Cal State Channel Islands.
The fire grew to more than 370 square kilometers and was only 20 per cent contained.
"April, Julian, Mia and I would like to thank the courageous firefighters and volunteers", Thicke wrote on Instagram, on behalf of his family.
Other stars including Kim Kardashian-West and Lady Gaga evacuated their homes over the weekend while sharing updates with fans on social media.
Authorities were also bringing in a DNA lab and said officials would reach out to relatives who had registered their missing loved ones to aid in identifying the dead after the blaze destroyed more than 6,700 buildings, almost all of them homes.
The fire in Northern California has probably caused between US$2-billion and US$4-billion in insured property damage, Morgan Stanley estimated in a report on Monday.
The magnitude of the devastation was beginning to set in even as the blaze raged on.
