Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea confirmed Sunday evening that the total death toll from wildfires raging across California has risen to 29, figures that match the deadliest wildfire in state history, the Associated Press reports.
Large fires have grown in populated areas of California over the past week, including the Camp Fire, north of Sacramento, and the Woolsey Fire, west of Los Angeles. The fires have destroyed thousands of structures and sent people fleeing as towns and forests throughout the state burn.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that five people were found dead in vehicles burned by the Camp Fire, which devastated the town of Paradise, Calif., on Thursday. The vehicles were overcome by the flames of the fire, which had grown to about 110 square miles and forced thousands to evacuate. Due to extensive burn injuries, authorities did not immediately identify the victims. According to CNN, four other victims were found Friday near or inside homes that burned.
Honea also said Saturday that there are still 110 unresolved missing person reports.
By Saturday, the Camp Fire had quickly grown into the state’s most destructive fire in at least a century, the Associated Press reports. In Paradise, Calif., more than 6,700 structures, almost all of them homes, have been destroyed.
Officials took advantage of temporarily calm conditions on Saturday to assess damage from the Woolsey wildfire that has so far burned 109 square miles north and west of downtown Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press. Los Angeles County sheriff’s Chief John Benedict confirmed Saturday two victims were found dead but provided no details on the deaths, AP said.
The entire city of Malibu was ordered to evacuate ahead of the Woolsey Fire. It is home to 13,000 people, among them some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
According to AP, Southern California state officials put the total number of people forced from their homes by all active wildfires at about 250,000.
Source: Time
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