
Paradise, California (CNN)The death toll from the Camp Fire in Northern California has grown to 63 people, Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory Honea said Thursday evening.
Seven sets of remains were discovered Thursday, he said. Hundreds of rescue personnel dressed in white overalls sifted through smoldering rubble and checked mangled cars, searching for human remains in California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire.The fire turned the hard-hit town of Paradise into ash and debris and also devastated the nearby communities of Magalia and Concow. Honea said three sets of remains were found in Paradise, three in Magalia and one in Concow. At least two other people have been killed in another major wildfire in Southern California, putting the state’s death toll at 65 since the two blazes began last week.Read MoreIn the Camp Fire’s devastating aftermath, cadaver dogs, deputies and coroners are searching the ruins where Paradise, a town of 27,000, once stood. Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA burned neighborhood is seen in Paradise, California, on Thursday, November 15.Hide Caption 1 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaRescue workers sift through rubble in search of human remains at a burned property in Paradise on Wednesday, November 14.Hide Caption 2 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters work to control the Camp Fire north of Oroville on November 14.Hide Caption 3 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaEvacuee Denise Chester hugs her son, Antonio Batres, as she volunteers her time sorting clothes at a makeshift shelter in Chico on November 14. Chester, who didn’t want to know yet whether her home survived, said: “I want to help. I don’t want to shut down.”Hide Caption 4 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaTape outlines the location where sheriff’s deputies recovered the body of a Camp Fire victim on November 14.Hide Caption 5 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaMagalia resident Luis Badres and his family left his home because of the Camp Fire. He and his family were living in a tent in the parking lot of a Chico Walmart on Tuesday, November 13.Hide Caption 6 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA long line of residents seeking to return to Malibu wait at a checkpoint on Pacific Coast Highway after Woolsey Fire evacuation orders were lifted for the eastern portion of the city on November 13.Hide Caption 7 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA helicopter flies near the Woolsey Fire burning in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.Hide Caption 8 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaRoger Kelton wipes away tears on November 13 while searching through the remains of his mother-in-law’s home in Agoura Hills. It was destroyed by the Woolsey Fire.Hide Caption 9 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA melted fence runs along a hillside as firefighters battle the Woolsey Fire in Agoura Hills on November 13. Hide Caption 10 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters search through the remains of a Paradise house on November 13.Hide Caption 11 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaSmoke fills the horizon on November 13 as an airplane flies near a flare-up of the Woolsey Fire near Lake Sherwood.Hide Caption 12 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA fire truck drives through part of Paradise on November 13.Hide Caption 13 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaAn air tanker drops water on a fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley on Monday, November 12.Hide Caption 14 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaSamantha Esau and Emily Garcia take in stray cats from an evacuated Paradise home on November 12.Hide Caption 15 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters put out hot spots in Paradise on November 12.Hide Caption 16 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaJoseph Grado and his wife, Susan, embrace at a shelter in Chico on November 12. The Camp Fire destroyed their home.Hide Caption 17 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA firefighter battles a fire in Simi Valley on November 12.Hide Caption 18 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA plane drops fire retardant on the Woolsey Fire near Malibu on November 12.Hide Caption 19 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaBetsy Ann Cowley walks through Pulga, near where investigators were trying to determine the cause of the Camp Fire.Hide Caption 20 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA resident sprays down a roof as firefighters battle the Peak Fire in Simi Valley.Hide Caption 21 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaShawn Slack carries a chainsaw on November 12 after trees burned in Paradise.Hide Caption 22 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaChris and Nancy Brown embrace while looking over the remains of their home on November 12.Hide Caption 23 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters put out hot spots in Thousand Oaks on November 12.Hide Caption 24 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters battle a fire in Simi Valley on November 12.Hide Caption 25 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA ferry makes its way toward Alcatraz Island on November 12 as the San Francisco skyline is obscured by smoke that drifted over from the Camp Fire.Hide Caption 26 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA vehicle drives through smoke near Pulga on Sunday, November 11.Hide Caption 27 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters battle the Woolsey Fire in Malibu on November 11.Hide Caption 28 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA helicopter drops water while battling the Camp Fire near Pulga on November 11.Hide Caption 29 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters work at the Salvation Army Camp in Malibu on Saturday, November 10.Hide Caption 30 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA bag containing human remains lies on the ground on November 11 as officials continue to search for victims at a burned-out home in Paradise.Hide Caption 31 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaCathy Fallon, who stayed behind in Paradise to tend to her horses during the Camp Fire, embraces Shawna De Long, left, and April Smith, right, who brought supplies for the horses.Hide Caption 32 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters douse embers off a canyon road that cuts across the mountains to Malibu.Hide Caption 33 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA plane drops fire retardant on a burning hillside in Malibu on November 11.Hide Caption 34 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaEvacuee Brian Etter and his dog Tone, who escaped the Camp Fire on foot, rest in the parking lot of a Chico church on November 11.Hide Caption 35 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaCulver City firefighters watch the Woolsey Fire from a burned home in Los Angeles.Hide Caption 36 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe remains of a Los Angeles home destroyed by the Woolsey Fire are seen on November 11.Hide Caption 37 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe sun rises over the Pacific Ocean on November 11 as the Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu.Hide Caption 38 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters battle a blaze in Malibu on Saturday, November 10.Hide Caption 39 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA woman runs in Calabasas as firefighters work to control a flare-up from the Woolsey Fire on November 10.Hide Caption 40 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe Camp Fire burns November 10 in the hills near Big Bend.Hide Caption 41 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaSheriff’s deputies carry a body bag with a Camp Fire victim on November 10.Hide Caption 42 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaScorched hillsides and damaged power lines are seen on November 10 along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.Hide Caption 43 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaAraya Cipollini cries November 10 near the remains of her family’s home in Paradise.Hide Caption 44 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaLos Angeles County firefighters work in Malibu Creek State Park on November 10.Hide Caption 45 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA deer looks on from a burned residence in Paradise on November 10.Hide Caption 46 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA fire truck is seen on the Pacific Coast Highway as the Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu on November 10.Hide Caption 47 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaEric England searches through a friend’s vehicle in Paradise on November 10.Hide Caption 48 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaSheriff’s deputies walk November 10 through a neighborhood destroyed by the Camp Fire.Hide Caption 49 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA satellite image from November 10 shows vegetation that was burned as a result of the Woolsey Fire.Hide Caption 50 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters meet in Paradise on November 10.Hide Caption 51 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaRoger Bloxberg and his wife, Anne, hug on Friday, November 9, as they watch a wildfire on a Los Angeles hilltop.Hide Caption 52 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaMalibu Mayor Rick Mullen, who is also a firefighter, surveys a house engulfed in flames on Friday, November 9.Hide Caption 53 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA massive smoke plume, powered by strong winds, rises above the Woolsey Fire in Malibu on November 9.Hide Caption 54 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaCathy Fallon stands near the charred remains of her Paradise home on November 9. The Camp Fire has wiped out much of the town north of Sacramento.Hide Caption 55 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA firefighter sprays down palm trees as the Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu on November 9. Hide Caption 56 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaLlamas are tied to a lifeguard stand on a Malibu beach on November 9.Hide Caption 57 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaSmoke is seen over the Pacific in this photo taken from a helicopter over Malibu on November 9.Hide Caption 58 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA woman in Malibu reacts to devastation on November 9.Hide Caption 59 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA row of palm trees stands as the Woolsey Fire continues to burn in Malibu on November 9.Hide Caption 60 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFrom left, firefighters Cory Darrigo, Omar Velasquez and Sam Quan rest in a Westlake Village backyard after battling the Woolsey Fire all night.Hide Caption 61 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaGabi and Jonah Frank walk on the Pacific Coast Highway as the Woolsey Fire threatens their Malibu home on November 9.Hide Caption 62 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA satellite image taken by NASA’s Operational Land Imager shows the Camp Fire in Northern California.Hide Caption 63 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA firefighter keeps watch as the Woolsey Fire burns a home near Malibu Lake on November 9. Hide Caption 64 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu on November 9. The community is known for celebrity beachside homes.Hide Caption 65 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaDoug Thomas and his dog Hanna rest November 9 while they await word if they can return to their Malibu Lake home.Hide Caption 66 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaCars destroyed by the Camp Fire sit in a used-car lot in Paradise on November 9.Hide Caption 67 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters battle flames in Thousand Oaks early on November 9.Hide Caption 68 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaEvacuees rest on cots supplied by the Red Cross at a Los Angeles high-school gym on November 9.Hide Caption 69 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFire Capt. Steve Millosovich, battling the Camp Fire in Big Bend, carries a cage of cats that fell from an evacuee’s pickup.Hide Caption 70 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaSmoke billows above Malibu trees in this photo posted to Instagram by Julie Ellerton.Hide Caption 71 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters push a vehicle from a garage as the Woolsey Fire burns a home in Malibu on November 9.Hide Caption 72 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaPatients are evacuated from Paradise’s Feather River Hospital as it burns on Thursday, November 8.Hide Caption 73 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaJuanita and Wayne McLish sit on a curb November 8 after losing their house to the Camp Fire in Paradise.Hide Caption 74 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe Hill Fire burns in Thousand Oaks on November 8.Hide Caption 75 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe Woolsey Fire burns in Ventura County, where Jason Bauer told CNN his parents had just been evacuated from their home.Hide Caption 76 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaPeople embrace in the parking lot of a Paradise hospital as the Camp Fire engulfed it on November 8.Hide Caption 77 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe Paradise Inn burns on November 8.Hide Caption 78 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA firefighter works to extinguish a spot fire at a home in Paradise.Hide Caption 79 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaVehicles and homes burn as the Camp Fire rips through Paradise on November 8.Hide Caption 80 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaDogs roam a burned-out neighborhood in Paradise.Hide Caption 81 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaHospital staff and first responders evacuate the Feather River Hospital in Paradise on November 8.Hide Caption 82 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA fire emergency crew works to protect the Paradise Town Hall from the encroaching Camp Fire on November 8.Hide Caption 83 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA home burns as the Camp Fire rages through Paradise.Hide Caption 84 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA vintage car rests among debris in Paradise.Hide Caption 85 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaMedical personnel move patients as the Feather River Hospital is evacuated in Paradise on November 8.Hide Caption 86 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaSmoke fills the sky over Paradise on November 8. Paradise, located about 85 miles north of Sacramento, has 26,000 residents. Hide Caption 87 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaThe remains of a building are seen after being consumed by the Camp Fire.Hide Caption 88 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA firefighter monitors a burning home on November 8.Hide Caption 89 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaCalifornia Highway Patrol officers attempt to transfer a potbelly pig they rescued in Butte County on November 8.Hide Caption 90 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaA Paradise home is engulfed in flames on November 8. Hide Caption 91 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFirefighters monitor a back fire while attempting to save homes in Paradise on November 8. Hide Caption 92 of 93
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across CaliforniaFlames burn inside a van as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise on November 8.Hide Caption 93 of 93
About 630 names are on a sheriff’s office list of people reported missing in the county, though some names appear more than once and it’s not clear if any are duplicates. Officials have said it’s hard to determine the number of missing, because some people may have evacuated and can’t be reached with cell phone service unreliable due to the fire.”There are lot of people displaced and we’re finding a lot of people don’t know we are looking for them,” Honea said.More than a quarter of Paradise’s residents are senior citizens, and many on the list of the missing are 65 or older.Honea has invited relatives of the missing to visit the sheriff’s office in Oroville so authorities can collect DNA samples from them. The DNA will be used to help identify fire victims, Honea said. “This is a daunting task. We feel really bad for the people who don’t know what happened to their loved ones and our hearts go out to them,” Butte County Sheriff’s Investigations Sgt. Steve Collins said. “We want to give them some answers.” President Donald Trump will visit the region Saturday.Troops, cadaver dogs and coroners involved The somber search for the missing in Butte County is painstaking. It involves 461 people and 22 cadaver dogs in Paradise, Magalia and Concow, authorities said.Dozens of National Guard troops have joined the search effort, Collins said. Once they find the remains, with the help of forensic experts, the coroners are sent to recover them. To enable searchers access to the destroyed structures, crews help move collapsed buildings and roofs out of the way. The white overalls protect the rescue workers from ash and debris and help avoid contamination, Collins said. “They are going to be searching vehicles that have been burned. They’ll be searching residences that have been burned. Checking around the residences … our mission is to find the victims from this fire, recover them and get them identified and notify the families to give them some answers.”
Roger Kelton, 67, wipes his tears while searching through the remains of his mother-in-law’s home. The search area is wide and spread out. “It’s not just the area; it’s the number of homes, the number of trailers, the multistory buildings. All of that changes the complexity of this operation,” Collins said. Experts are conducting targeted searches by first sending deputies to areas in which people have been reported missing. The number changes daily with more calls coming in. “We’re trying to follow up with those people who are calling in to find out if they’ve made any contact with their loved ones,” Collins said. “We’re asking people to call us if they do come in contact with their loved one so that we don’t spend time looking for somebody that’s already found.” Housing shortageFamilies who lost their homes in the fires are going to have a very hard time finding a place to live, Butte County Housing Authority Executive Director Ed Mayer said. “We just had 10% of our county’s housing stock erased in one day; it’s hard to convey the significance of that,” he said. A Walmart in Chico has a parking lot full of vehicles, including motor homes, in which people are living, often running the heat in their cars and trucks all night. Other people are staying in tents.”It’s been a week and people have been great, but I don’t know how long it’s going to last,” Mayer said. “Short-term, we are fine, but long-term we are not.”One of the selling points of Paradise was its affordable housing, but that’s been erased, Mayer said.”And there is nothing to replace it” for low-income families, he said. Suspected outbreak of norovirus reported More than 9,600 firefighters, including many from out of state, are battling wildfires across California. The Camp Fire, which has destroyed about 8,756 homes and scorched 140,000 acres in Northern California, is one of several in the state. By Thursday, it was 40% contained. Adding to the misery for evacuees, officials reported a suspected outbreak of norovirus at a shelter in Chico. Evacuees showed some symptoms, but officials are waiting for test results for confirmation. The stomach bug causes vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Other fires in the stateIn Southern California, the Woolsey Fire — which, like the Camp Fire, began November 8 — has killed at least two people in Malibu. Authorities are trying to determine whether a third person found in a burned home in Agoura Hills died as a result of that fire, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. The Woolsey Fire has burned more than 98,000 acres and destroyed more than 500 structures. It is 57% contained. More favorable weather conditions are in the forecast.More than 230,000 acres burned in California in the past week. That’s larger than the cities of Chicago and Boston combined. And in 30 days, firefighters have battled more than 500 blazes, said Cal Fire, the state’s forestry and fire protection agency.
Source Link:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/15/us/california-fires/index.html
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