LOS ANGELES — Senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration visited California Monday as blazes that have killed at least eight people continued to cut a catastrophic swathe through the country’s most populous state. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes over the last month, with 14 fires still threatening land and property from south of Los Angeles to the state’s border with Oregon. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke – wrapping up a two-day tour of the Carr Fire’s path to the west of Redding in northern California – met rescuers alongside Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Over the weekend, firefighters made encouraging progress on the inferno, which has destroyed more than 1,000 homes and other property, according to federal and local government data. But the 82,000-hectare blaze is still less than two-thirds contained after killing eight people and prompting the evacuation of 40,000. "Thanks to all firefighters … [Read more...] about Senior Trump officials survey California fire devastation
California fire
‘Hell on Earth’: California fire toll rises to 38
The death toll from California's raging wildfires rose to 38 on Saturday, with more than 10,000 firefighters battling 16 large blazes and 100,000 people evacuated, the state's fire service said. Around 335 square miles (864 square kilometers) of residential neighborhoods, forests and other property have been burned since Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). "These fires have been extremely destructive, with 5,700 structures estimated to have been destroyed," the service said in a statement. Cal Fire later announced on its Twitter account that the death toll had risen from 35 in the morning to 38, with 20 of the fatalities occurring in Sonoma County alone, where more than 200 people are still missing. Pre-dawn winds in Santa Rosa have complicated the effort, pushing a blaze known as the Nuns Fire in two separate directions and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes near Oakmont and northeast of the city of Sonoma, … [Read more...] about ‘Hell on Earth’: California fire toll rises to 38
Wildfires in California, New Mexico trigger hundreds of evacuations
Hundreds of people have evacuated to escape a wildfire in coastal Southern California and a larger blaze in rural New Mexico as hot weather feeds the flames, raising health concerns in other regions, officials said on Thursday. Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown told a news conference his deputies had asked occupants of 400 homes and businesses to evacuate structures in areas threatened by flames from the California fire. Campers and horses on ranches have also been forced out, officials said. The blaze, which ignited on Wednesday in a wilderness area northwest of Santa Barbara, has consumed chaparral and tall grass in the Los Padres National Forest, blackening some 1,200 acres (490 hectares), according to the InciWeb fire information center. About 500 firefighters were trying to hold it from exploding out of control as airplane tankers and helicopters dropped water, officials said. "There isn't a lot of marine layer (ocean humidity) so not great conditions for firefighting," Diane … [Read more...] about Wildfires in California, New Mexico trigger hundreds of evacuations
California fires affect 500,000
More than half a million people have been ordered to evacuate parts of the US state of California being engulfed by massive wildfires that have razed land from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. Fierce winds are fanning at least 16 fires which have left two people dead and destroyed more than 1,200 homes and businesses, say officials. Around 40 people have been injured, including at least 18 firefighters. Thousands of residents sought shelter at fairgrounds, schools and community centres. The largest gathering - of up to 10,000 evacuees - was at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. President George W Bush will visit the state on Thursday, after declaring a state of emergency in seven counties. Up to 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares) of land have been scorched - an area bigger than New York City. On Tuesday, 6,000 firefighters were struggling to contain the flames, which are being fuelled by hot 70mph (113km/h) winds. Officials have warned the heat and wind levels are not likely to abate … [Read more...] about California fires affect 500,000
Boy with Matches Started California Fire: Police
A young boy playing with matches has confessed to starting one of the deadly fires that recently devastated southern California, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The Buckweed fire in northern Los Angeles County, which began in the early afternoon of Sunday, October 21, was first blamed on downed power lines, but the investigation later turned into one of suspected arson. By Monday "detectives identified a male juvenile as the suspect," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement late Tuesday. "After talking with the suspect, he admitted to playing with matches and accidentally starting the fire. The boy was released to his parents." The case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office "for further action," the statement read. An official with the Sheriff's Department described the boy as a "pre-teen." The devastating wildfires were among the worst in Californian history, leaving seven people dead, destroying 2,000 homes and displacing 640,000 … [Read more...] about Boy with Matches Started California Fire: Police