Death toll, number of missing rise in California’s Camp Fire
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BIG BEND, CA - NOVEMBER 10: The Camp Fire burns in the hills on November 10, 2018 near Big Bend, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise charring 105,000 acres, killed 23 people and has destroyed over 6,700 homes and businesses. The fire is currently at 20 percent containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Paradise, CaliforniaCNN
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Hundreds of people poured Wednesday into the Northern California communities ravaged by the deadly Camp Fire, searching for human remains while authorities tried to track down 130 people who are unaccounted for after the blaze.
The staggering death toll from the fire increased to 56 as eight sets of remains were found.
Most of the people on the partial list of the missing posted earlier Wednesday on the Butte County website are senior citizens.
The majority of the missing live in Paradise, which is a town of 27,000 residents, many of them retirees. About 461 people and 22 cadaver dogs are searching the town and other communities, Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory Honea said.
“We’re moving as fast as we can. It will take as long as it takes,” Honea said when asked about a timeline for the search. “It’s an important thing that we get right. And I understand the issue (of residents wanting to return to their properties), and I’m balancing the competing interests.”
The sheriff’s department will begin taking DNA samples from people who are missing a family member on Thursday, he said.
The Camp Fire is one of two major blazes burning in California that have left at least 58 people dead. The other is the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, which has killed at least two people and destroyed nearly 500 homes.
An Alameda County coroner looks for human remains at a burned home in Paradise, California.
JOSH EDELSON/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Earlier officials said the number of missing was 103 but the total will change each day with new information.
Residents want to rebuild
Paradise Mayor Jody Jones insists her town will be brought back.
“We’re gonna come back, we’re gonna rebuild. We’re gonna make Paradise Paradise again,” she said Wednesday.
Jones knows people want desperately to come back to see what can be done, what is gone and what can be salvaged.
The threat from the Camp Fire is now minimal, but there are other dangers, she said.
“I know people want to take RV’s up and stay on their land while they rebuild and I think that will eventually be possible, but it’s gonna take time before it’s safe enough to do that. We all just need to be patient,” she said.
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across California
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Jacob Saylors, 11, walks through the burned remains of his home in Paradise, California, on Sunday, November 18. His family lost a home in the same spot to a fire 10 years earlier.
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across California
Noah Berger/AP
Lidia Steineman, who lost her home in the Camp Fire, prays during a vigil for fire victims on November 18 in Chico, California. More than 50 people gathered at the memorial service.
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Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
From left, California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, California Gov. Jerry Brown, President Donald Trump, Paradise Mayor Jody Jones and FEMA Administrator Brock Long survey damage left by the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, on Saturday, November 17. The death toll from the Camp Fire has risen to 76 and more than 1,200 people remain unaccounted for.
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Leah Millis/Reuters
A child wears a smoke mask while watching President Trump''s motorcade in Chico on November 17.
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Fire evacuees sift through donated items in a Chico parking lot November 17.
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Evan Vucci/AP
A group of children hold an American flag as the motorcade of President Donald Trump drives through Chico, California, on November 17.
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John Locher/AP
A firefighter searches for human remains on Friday, November 16, in a Paradise trailer park destroyed in the Camp Fire.
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Evan Vucci/AP
President Donald Trump visits a neighborhood impacted by the Woolsey Fire in Malibu, California, on November 17.
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John Locher/AP
Dakota Keltner, right, rests on Havyn Cargill-Morris on November 16 in a truck at a makeshift encampment outside a Walmart store in Chico, California. The camp became a temporary respite for people displaced by the Camp Fire.
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Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
A burned neighborhood is seen on Thursday, November 15, in Paradise, California.
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Rescue workers sift through rubble in search of human remains on Wednesday, November 14, at a burned property in Paradise.
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Firefighters work to control the Camp Fire on November 14 north of Oroville, California.
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Noah Berger/AP
Evacuee Denise Chester hugs her son, Antonio Batres, as she volunteers her time sorting clothes on November 14 at a makeshift shelter in Chico. Chester, who didn't want to know yet whether her home survived, said: "I want to help. I don't want to shut down."
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Noah Berger/AP
Tape outlines the location where sheriff's deputies on November 14 recovered the body of a Camp Fire victim.
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Joel Angel Juarez/ZUMA Wire
Magalia resident Luis Badres and his family left his home because of the Camp Fire. They were living in a tent on Tuesday, November 13, in the parking lot of a Chico Walmart.
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Reed Saxon/AP
A long line of residents seeking to return to Malibu wait at a checkpoint on November 13 on Pacific Coast Highway after Woolsey Fire evacuation orders were lifted for the eastern portion of the city.
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A helicopter flies near the Woolsey Fire burning in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
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Jae C. Hong/AP
Roger 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.
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Jae C. Hong/AP
A melted fence runs along a hillside as firefighters battle the Woolsey Fire in Agoura Hills on November 13.
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Terry Sylvester/Reuters
Firefighters search through the remains of a Paradise house on November 13.
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Amanda Myers/AP
Smoke fills the horizon on November 13 as an airplane flies near a flare-up of the Woolsey Fire near Lake Sherwood.
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John Locher/AP
A fire truck drives through part of Paradise on November 13.
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An air tanker drops water on a fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley on Monday, November 12.
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Samantha Esau and Emily Garcia take in stray cats from an evacuated Paradise home on November 12.
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Firefighters put out hot spots in Paradise on November 12.
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Joseph Grado and his wife, Susan, embrace at a shelter in Chico on November 12. The Camp Fire destroyed their home.
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A firefighter battles a fire in Simi Valley on November 12.
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A plane drops fire retardant on the Woolsey Fire near Malibu on November 12.
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Peter Banda/AP
Betsy Ann Cowley walks through Pulga, near where investigators were trying to determine the cause of the Camp Fire.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
A resident sprays down a roof as firefighters battle the Peak Fire in Simi Valley.
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John Locher/AP
Shawn Slack carries a chainsaw on November 12 after trees burned in Paradise.
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Chris and Nancy Brown embrace while looking over the remains of their home on November 12.
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Firefighters put out hot spots in Thousand Oaks on November 12.
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Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP
Firefighters battle a fire in Simi Valley on November 12.
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Eric Risberg/AP
A 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.
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Noah Berger/AP
A vehicle drives through smoke near Pulga on Sunday, November 11.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
Firefighters battle the Woolsey Fire in Malibu on November 11.
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across California
Noah Berger/AP
A helicopter drops water while battling the Camp Fire near Pulga on November 11.
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Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images
Firefighters work at the Salvation Army Camp in Malibu on Saturday, November 10.
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John Locher/AP
A 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.
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Stephen Lam/REUTERS
Cathy 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.
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across California
by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Firefighters douse embers off a canyon road that cuts across the mountains to Malibu.
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Jae C. Hong/AP
A plane drops fire retardant on a burning hillside in Malibu on November 11.
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Stephen Lam/Reuters
Evacuee 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.
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Culver City firefighters watch the Woolsey Fire from a burned home in Los Angeles.
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The remains of a Los Angeles home destroyed by the Woolsey Fire are seen on November 11.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
The sun rises over the Pacific Ocean on November 11 as the Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu.
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Firefighters battle a blaze in Malibu on Saturday, November 10.
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Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
A woman runs in Calabasas as firefighters work to control a flare-up from the Woolsey Fire on November 10.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The Camp Fire burns November 10 in the hills near Big Bend.
Photos: In pictures: Wildfires tear across California
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Sheriff's deputies carry a body bag with a Camp Fire victim on November 10.
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Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
Scorched hillsides and damaged power lines are seen on November 10 along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
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John Locher/AP
Araya Cipollini cries November 10 near the remains of her family's home in Paradise.
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David McNew/Getty Images
Los Angeles County firefighters work in Malibu Creek State Park on November 10.
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Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
A deer looks on from a burned residence in Paradise on November 10.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
A fire truck is seen on the Pacific Coast Highway as the Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu on November 10.
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Noah Berger/AP
Eric England searches through a friend's vehicle in Paradise on November 10.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Sheriff's deputies walk November 10 through a neighborhood destroyed by the Camp Fire.
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A satellite image from November 10 shows vegetation that was burned as a result of the Woolsey Fire.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Firefighters meet in Paradise on November 10.
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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Roger Bloxberg and his wife, Anne, hug on Friday, November 9, as they watch a wildfire on a Los Angeles hilltop.
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Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Malibu Mayor Rick Mullen, who is also a firefighter, surveys a house engulfed in flames on Friday, November 9.
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David McNew/Getty Images
A massive smoke plume, powered by strong winds, rises above the Woolsey Fire in Malibu on November 9.
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John Locher/AP
Cathy 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.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
A firefighter sprays down palm trees as the Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu on November 9.
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Llamas are tied to a lifeguard stand on a Malibu beach on November 9.
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Mark J. Terrill/AP
Smoke is seen over the Pacific in this photo taken from a helicopter over Malibu on November 9.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
A woman in Malibu reacts to devastation on November 9.
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A row of palm trees stands as the Woolsey Fire continues to burn in Malibu on November 9.
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From left, firefighters Cory Darrigo, Omar Velasquez and Sam Quan rest in a Westlake Village backyard after battling the Woolsey Fire all night.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
Gabi and Jonah Frank walk on the Pacific Coast Highway as the Woolsey Fire threatens their Malibu home on November 9.
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From NASA
A satellite image taken by NASA's Operational Land Imager shows the Camp Fire in Northern California.
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Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP
A firefighter keeps watch as the Woolsey Fire burns a home near Malibu Lake on November 9.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
The Woolsey Fire burns in Malibu on November 9. The community is known for celebrity beachside homes.
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Erick Madrid/Zuma Press
Doug Thomas and his dog Hanna rest November 9 while they await word if they can return to their Malibu Lake home.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Cars destroyed by the Camp Fire sit in a used-car lot in Paradise on November 9.
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Eric Thayer/Reuters
Firefighters battle flames in Thousand Oaks early on November 9.
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Richard Vogel/AP
Evacuees rest on cots supplied by the Red Cross at a Los Angeles high-school gym on November 9.
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Noah Berger/AP
Fire Capt. Steve Millosovich, battling the Camp Fire in Big Bend, carries a cage of cats that fell from an evacuee's pickup.
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Julie Ellerton
Smoke billows above Malibu trees in this photo posted to Instagram by Julie Ellerton.
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Firefighters push a vehicle from a garage as the Woolsey Fire burns a home in Malibu on November 9.
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Patients are evacuated from Paradise's Feather River Hospital as it burns on Thursday, November 8.
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Juanita and Wayne McLish sit on a curb November 8 after losing their house to the Camp Fire in Paradise.
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The Hill Fire burns in Thousand Oaks on November 8.
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Jason Bauer
The Woolsey Fire burns in Ventura County, where Jason Bauer told CNN his parents had just been evacuated from their home.
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Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
People embrace in the parking lot of a Paradise hospital as the Camp Fire engulfed it on November 8.
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The Paradise Inn burns on November 8.
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Stephen Lam/REUTERS
A firefighter works to extinguish a spot fire at a home in Paradise.
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Josh Edelson/Getty Images
Vehicles and homes burn as the Camp Fire rips through Paradise on November 8.
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Dogs roam a burned-out neighborhood in Paradise.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Hospital staff and first responders evacuate the Feather River Hospital in Paradise on November 8.
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Neal Waters/ZUMA Wire
A fire emergency crew works to protect the Paradise Town Hall from the encroaching Camp Fire on November 8.
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Noah Berger/AP
A home burns as the Camp Fire rages through Paradise.
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Noah Berger/AP
A vintage car rests among debris in Paradise.
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Noah Berger/AP
Medical personnel move patients as the Feather River Hospital is evacuated in Paradise on November 8.
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Smoke fills the sky over Paradise on November 8. Paradise, located about 85 miles north of Sacramento, has 26,000 residents.
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Noah Berger/AP
The remains of a building are seen after being consumed by the Camp Fire.
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A firefighter monitors a burning home on November 8.
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California Highway Patrol officers attempt to transfer a potbelly pig they rescued in Butte County on November 8.
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A Paradise home is engulfed in flames on November 8.
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Stephen Lam/Reuters
Firefighters monitor a back fire while attempting to save homes in Paradise on November 8.
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Noah Berger/AP
Flames burn inside a van as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise on November 8.
Water service is out and power lines are down, she said.
Carmen Smith is one of those anxious and displaced residents. She waited Tuesday at a roadblock outside Paradise, hoping someone would help her get home and retrieve her husband’s medicine.
“I thought I was going to go home because I work at the hospital and we had to evacuate all the people, and I go, ‘Oh, I’m coming back home,’ but I did not know it was this bad,” Smith told CNN affiliate KCRA. “The fire was right there.”
Smith and others are wondering when they can go back to get medicine and clothing or simply to check on the damage.
“I don’t know what to do here,” Charles Terry told KCRA. “I need to get that stuff out of the house.”
New fire
In Southern California, firefighters still are battling the Woolsey Fire, which so far has left at least two people dead in Malibu. Authorities are trying to determine whether a third person, found dead at a burned home in Agoura Hills, also died as a result of that fire, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
They’ve also been fighting a new blaze, the Sierra Fire, in San Bernardino County. It started late Tuesday about 50 miles east of Los Angeles near Rialto and Fontana,and by Wednesday morning had burned 147 acres, though no evacuations have been ordered,the San Bernardino County Fire District said.
Fire officials said the Sierra Firewas fanned by the Santa Ana winds –strong, dry winds that high-pressure systems push from east to west, from the mountains and desert areas down into the Los Angeles area. It was 85% contained by Wednesday afternoon.
Winds were “particularly strong” Wednesday morning but weakened during the day, meteorologists said. The forecast calls for light winds Thursday and Friday, but brisk winds are expected to return Saturday night.
The chance of precipitation – next week – has increased, forecasters said.
A look at the wildfires’ astonishing numbers
• Camp Fire: The Camp Fire has destroyed 8,650 homes and scorched 138,000 acres in Northern California. As of Wednesday, the inferno was 35% contained. More than 10,000 structures have burned down, officials said.
• Hill Fire: A second Southern California blaze has burned 4,531 acres and was 96% contained as of Wednesday morning.
• Death toll: There have been 58 deaths statewide.
• A devastating week for the Golden State: 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.
Federal officials visit
President Donald Trump received a briefing about the fires from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long, who were in California.
The two officials told reporters the Camp Fire was one of the worst disasters they have seen.
Zinke also said this is not the time to cast the deadly fire in a political light or cast blame.
He said he wanted the focus to be on checking with families and residents, and to continue to work with state and local partners throughout the recovery phase.
“This is not just a state issue. It’s not a federal issue. This is an American issue of managing our forests,” he said.
Zinke cited several reasons for the increase in devastation including dead and dying timber and beetle infestation. He stopped short of blaming climate change.
He said prescribed burns are a start and that “the best scientists are looking at best practices.”
After viewing the decimated town of Paradise, Long said a lot of planning will go into reconstructing the town.
“This is a very complex disaster. Probably one of the most complicated disasters this nation has ever seen when it comes to Paradise,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands are displaced
More than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes statewide. Most of those live in Los Angeles County, where 170,000 were evacuated.
Thomas Hirsch was searching the burned remains of his childhood home Tuesday in Malibu, looking for anything salvageable. His parents – who are 97 and 94 – still live there and plan to rebuild, he said.
“We’re survivors. We’ll rebuild, we’ll come back and take whatever little insurance money they had, clean it off, rebuild it and make it nicer than it was before,” he said.
The Los Angeles County sheriff expressed empathy for residents waiting to return to the remains of the few hundred homes destroyed by the Woolsey Fire.
He took a helicopter tour of the burned areas and posted aerial photos of the destruction to Twitter.
“We see the frustration of (people) trying to get back into their homes & appreciate their cooperation,”Sheriff Jim McDonnell wrote.
The wildfires across California are being battled by more than 9,600 firefighters, including many from out of state.
CNN’s Hollie Silverman, Tristan Smith, Jonathan Schaer, Holly Yan, Cheri Mossburg, Jenn Selva, Amanda Watts, Stella Chan, Scott McLean and Lauren Sennet contributed to this report.