California wildfire update : 59 killed and 130 missing [Update #8]

[MenInG]

One of three major wildfires roaring though California has burned its way into state history as the most destructive blaze on record in terms of structure loss, with more than 6,700 structures gone in two days, according to Cal Fire, the state's fire-fighting agency.

The large Camp Fire in Northern California, which obliterated 80% to 90% of the homes in one town, has left at least nine people dead, officials said Friday. Kory Honea, the Butte County sheriff, said 35 people have been reported missing in the Camp Fire.

The fast-moving wildfires in the state have destroyed thousands of structures and prompted thousands of residents to flee, sometimes through jam-packed flame-lined streets that forced evacuees to chose whether to try to drive to safety or to get out and run.
The Camp Fire left the mayor of Paradise, population 26,000, in shock.

"There's really not much left. There are very few homes still standing and we've been in multiple different neighborhoods this afternoon," Mayor Jody Jones said. She estimated only 10 to 20% of homes are left.

Four people were found dead in vehicles that were overcome by flames and one body was discovered near the vehicles, the Butte County Sheriff's Office said. The other victims were found near or inside homes that burned.

Two major fires in Southern California are just miles from the bar where 12 people were killed in a mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, and evacuations were ordered for nearby Malibu, a seaside city popular with celebrities.

Authorities have received reports of two fatalities in the city of Malibu, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's office said it was working to confirm whether they are related to the wildfires.

Fanned by high winds and fueled by low humidity and dry vegetation, the fires spread rapidly Thursday and overnight into Friday. The threat continued Friday, with millions of Californians under "red flag" warnings portending windy arid and warm conditions that pose extreme fire risks.

Read more on https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/09/us/camp-fire-california/index.html

 

[MenInG]

Seen some videos of people driving through these on TV and looks very scary

 

[MenInG]

CNN) — The death toll in the Camp Fire in Northern California has risen to 23 with the discovery Saturday of 14 more sets of remains, Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory Honea told reporters.

Honea said 10 of the victims were recovered from the fire-ravaged town of Paradise. He said seven people were found in homes, and three were outside. Of the remaining four, two were in cars and two were in houses in an area known as Concow.

Saturday brought a break in the fierce winds that have whipped the three major wildfires in California that have destroyed a record number of buildings and displaced more than 300,000 people.

But officials know the gusts will be back Sunday and most evacuation orders remain in place.

"Mother Nature has given us a short reprieve ... but we know tomorrow Mother Nature's gonna turn her fan back on and the winds are going to start blowing," Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen told reporters. He said he cautioned his firefighters and the public not to be lulled by the better weather Saturday.

Related Article: Why the California wildfires are spreading so quickly

"Stay vigilant," he said.

Fire has killed nine people in Northern California and possibly two in Southern California. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Chief John Benedict said the charred remains of two people were found in a car in Malibu, but homicide investigators were still working the case.

Winds could gust as high as 30 to 50 mph, depending on elevation, on Sunday, officials said. Much of the state hasn't seen rain in more than a month, according to CNN meteorologists, and the dry vegetation has only served to fuel the fires.

https://edition-m.cnn.com/2018/11/1...sey-hill/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/

 

[Madplayer]

Looks like a scene from some apolcalypse movie. The biggest problem is strong winds pushing the fire forward.

 

[giri26]

California fires: Authorities, relatives step up search for at least 228 missing

With hearses standing by, crews have stepped up the search for bodies in the smoking ruins of Paradise, and relatives desperately looked for at least 228 missing loved ones, as wind-whipped wildfires raged at both ends of California.

The statewide death toll stood at 31 and appeared certain to rise.

At least five search teams were working in Paradise — a town of 27,000 that was largely destroyed on Thursday — and surrounding Northern California communities.

Authorities called in a mobile DNA lab and anthropologists to help identify victims of the most destructive wildfire in Californian history.

By early afternoon, one of the two black hearses stationed in Paradise had picked up another set of remains.

The search also went on for the missing.

"I still haven't heard anything," said Laurie Teague, who was looking for her 80-year-old stepfather, Herb Alderman.

She and her brother called shelters, hospitals, the sheriff's department and the coroner's office.

"He has friends in that area. I'm hoping one of them grabbed him and took him to shelter," Ms Teague said.

Officials and relatives held out hope many of those unaccounted for were safe and simply had no mobile phones or other ways to contact loved ones.

Sol Bechtold drove from shelter to shelter looking for his mother, Joanne Caddy, a 75-year-old widow whose house burned down along with the rest of her neighbourhood in Magalia, just north of Paradise. She lived alone and did not drive.

Mr Bechtold posted a flyer on social media, pinned it to bulletin boards at shelters and showed her picture around to evacuees, asking if anyone recognised her.

As he drove through the smoke and haze to yet another shelter, he said, "I'm also under a dark emotional cloud. Your mother's somewhere and you don't know where she's at. You don't know if she's safe".

"I've got to stay positive. She's a strong, smart woman."

More than 8,000 firefighters in all battled three large wildfires burning across nearly 1,040 square kilometres in northern and southern California, with out-of-state crews continuing to arrive and gusty winds starting up again.

The worst of the blazes was in northern California, where the number of people killed in that fire alone, at least 29, matched the toll in the deadliest wildfire on record in the state.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the county was bringing in more rescue workers and consulted anthropologists from California State University at Chico because, in some cases, investigators have been able to recover only bones and bone fragments.

The devastation was so complete in some neighbourhoods that, "It's very difficult to determine whether or not there may be human remains there", Mr Honea said.

Authorities were also bringing in a DNA lab and encouraged people with missing relatives to submit samples to aid in identifying the dead after the blaze destroyed more than 6,700 buildings, nearly all of them homes.

Firefighters made modest overnight gains against the blaze, which grew slightly to 440 square kilometres from the day before but was 25 per cent contained, up from 20 per cent, according to the state fire agency, Cal Fire.

But Cal Fire spokesman Bill Murphy warned gusty winds predicted for Monday could spark "explosive fire behaviour".

"We're at a pivotal point now," another Cal Fire official, David Clark, said.

Two people were also found dead in a wildfire in southern California, where flames tore through Malibu mansions and working-class Los Angeles suburbs alike.

The severely burned bodies were discovered in a long residential driveway in celebrity-studded Malibu, where residents forced from their homes included Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian West, Guillermo del Toro and Martin Sheen.

Flames also besieged Thousand Oaks, the southern California city in mourning over the massacre of 12 people in a shooting rampage at a country music bar on Wednesday night.

Fire officials said the larger of the region's two fires, the one that hit Malibu, grew to 337 square kilometres and was 10 per cent contained.

The count of lost structures in both southern California fires climbed to nearly 180, authorities said, and that number seemed certain to rise.

The large mobile home community of Seminole Springs, in the rugged Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu, appeared devastated.

About 300,000 people statewide were under evacuation orders, most of them in southern California.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11...stand-by-as-crews-search-for-victims/10487194

 

[Zeeraq]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1061168803218948096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[giri26]

California wildfires: Fears strong winds will fan flames

The death toll from the devastating California wildfires has risen to 31, with hundreds of people still missing, and thousands left homeless.

Some residents were hoping to return home, but there are fears today of strong winds fanning the flames and driving them back into already decimated neighbourhoods.

An estimated quarter of a million people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major fires in the state.

Ten search teams are working in Paradise — a town of 27,000 that was largely incinerated last week — and in surrounding communities in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Authorities called in a DNA lab and teams of anthropologists to help identify victims

Statewide, 150,000 remained displaced as more than 8000 fire crews battled wildfires that have scorched 1040 square kilometres, with out-of-state crews continuing to arrive.

Whipping winds and tinder-dry conditions threaten more areas through the rest of the week, fire officials warned.

"This is truly a tragedy that all Californians can understand and respond to," Gov. Jerry Brown told reporters.

Brown, who has declared a state of emergency, said California is requesting aid from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has blamed "poor" forest management for the fires.

Brown said federal and state governments must do more forest management but that climate change is the greater source of the problem.

"And those who deny that are definitely contributing to the tragedies that we're now witnessing, and will continue to witness in the coming years," he said.

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.

While California officially emerged from a five-year drought last year, much of the northern two-thirds of the state is abnormally dry.

Firefighters battling fire with shovels and bulldozers, flame retardant and hoses expected wind gusts up to 64km/h overnight Sunday.

In Southern California , firefighters beat back a new round of winds Sunday and the fire's growth and destruction are believed to have been largely stopped.

Malibu celebrities and mobile-home dwellers in nearby mountains were slowly learning whether their homes had been spared or reduced to ash. Two people were killed and the fire had destroyed nearly 180 structures.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby stressed there were numerous hotspots and plenty of fuel that had not yet burned, but at sunset he said there had been huge successes despite "a very challenging day."

Celebrities whose coastal homes were damaged or destroyed in a Southern California wildfire or were forced to flee from the flames expressed sympathy and solidarity with less-famous people hurt worse by the state's deadly blazes, and gave their gratitude to firefighters who kept them safe.

Actor Gerard Butler said on Instagram that his Malibu home was "half-gone," adding he was "inspired as ever by the courage, spirit and sacrifice of firefighters."

Flames also besieged Thousand Oaks, the Southern California city in mourning over the massacre of 12 people in a shooting rampage at a country music bar on Wednesday night.

In Northern California, where more than 6700 buildings have been destroyed, the scope of the devastation was beginning to set in even as the blaze raged on.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the county consulted teams of anthropologists because, in some cases, investigators have been able to recover only bones and bone fragments.

In some neighbourhoods "it's very difficult to determine whether or not there may be human remains there," Honea said.

Public safety officials toured the Paradise area to begin discussing the recovery process. Much of what makes the city function is gone.

"Paradise was literally wiped off the map," said Tim Aboudara, a representative for International Association of Fire Fighters.

He said at least 36 firefighters lost their own homes, most in the Paradise area.

"Anytime you're a firefighter and your town burns down, there's a lot of feelings and a lot of guilt and a lot of concern about both what happened and what the future looks like," he said.

"Every story that we've heard coming through has been that way, like 'I wish I could have done more, What's going to happen to our community, Where are my kids going to go to school?'"

Others continued the desperate search for friends or relatives, calling evacuation centres, hospitals, police and the coroner's office.

Sol Bechtold drove from shelter to shelter looking for his mother, Joanne Caddy, a 75-year-old widow whose house burned down along with the rest of her neighbourhood in Magalia, just north of Paradise. She lived alone and did not drive.

As he drove through the smoke and haze to yet another shelter, he said, "I'm also under a dark emotional cloud. Your mother's somewhere and you don't know where she's at. You don't know if she's safe."

The 29 dead in Northern California matched the deadliest single fire on record, a 1933 blaze in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, though a series of wildfires in Northern California's wine country last fall killed 44 people and destroyed more than 5,000 homes.

Firefighters made progress against the blaze, holding containment at 25 percent on Sunday, but they were bracing for gusty winds predicted into Monday morning that could spark "explosive fire behaviour," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Bill Murphy said.

Fire officials are bracing for potentially more fires in Southern California's inland region as high winds and critically dry conditions were expected to persist into next week.

"We are really just in the middle of this protracted weather event, this fire siege," Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said.

He said officials were moving resources and preparing for "the next set of fires" as winds are expected to pick up. The chief warned that fire conditions will continue until the parched state sees rain.

https://www.9news.com.au/2018/11/11/14/37/california-wildfires-death-toll-rises-to-25-two-dead-car

 

[MenInG]

Authorities searching through the blackened aftermath of California's deadliest wildfire Wednesday released the names of some 130 people who are unaccounted, including many in their 80s and 90s, and dozens more could still be unaccounted for. Officials in Northern California said Tuesday that search crews had found six more bodies, bringing the death toll from the so-called Camp Fire to 56 and the statewide total to 59.

As the names of the missing were made public, additional crews joined the search. "We want to be able to cover as much ground as quickly as we possibly can," Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. "This is a very difficult task."

A sheriff's department spokeswoman, Megan McMann, acknowledged that the list of the missing was incomplete. She said detectives were concerned about being overwhelmed with calls from relatives if the entire list were released.

A new lawsuit blames the fire on a major utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, for allegedly failing to inspect and properly maintain its power lines. In a statement, PG&E said customer safety was its "highest priority" and it's focusing on helping first responders.

Five hundred miles south, firefighters have made progress battling the "Woolsey Fire." Some neighborhoods were reopened, and residents were able to see if their home survived.

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/c...acuations-death-toll-2018-11-14-live-updates/

 

[sweep_shot]

About 2,000 people have been evacuated from their homes as a wildfire rages through California's wine country.

The Kincade fire has engulfed 10,000 acres of land in Sonoma County and is not yet contained, the state's fire protection department says.

It is being driven by powerful winds and is moving south, a California fire spokeswoman said.

California is still recovering from wildfires last year that killed about 100 people.

The fire is moving some 75 miles (120km) north of San Francisco.

Wind gusts of up to 70mph (112km/h) have affected much of the state, the AP news agency reports. The winds are expected to die down on Friday but will pick back up again at the weekend.

More than 900 residents of the town of Geyserville, Sonoma County, have been ordered to evacuate by fire officials.

Many Geyserville residents said they did not have much time to gather their belongings together.

Dwight Monson, 68, told the Los Angeles Times that by the time his family jumped into their cars and headed into the valley below, the flames were already on the far edge of their property.

An evacuation warning has also been issued in the nearby town of Healdsburg.

"This fire is moving fast, please pay attention to evacuation orders," state Senator Mike McGuire tweeted.

"CalFire continues to mobilize major resources from throughout NorCal for the #KincadeFire," he wrote on Thursday morning. "Engines, bulldozers and personnel started flowing in overnight and will continue thru the day."

Nearly 180,000 homes are without power after Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power in 15 southern California counties to prevent the risk of any accidental fires.

More than 308,000 customers in seven counties, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura, are under consideration for power shutoffs, according to the Southern California Edison.

About 500 emergency responders are tackling the blaze with support from air tankers and helicopters.

The fire is believed to have started in a mountainous area near Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road. Its cause is not yet known.

Earlier this month, wildfires razed 4,700 acres north of Los Angeles, California, and forced thousands to flee.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50172228.

 

[sweep_shot]

Millions of Californians face having their power cut as firefighters continue to battle a surge in wildfires in the state.

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) said it may have to turn off power in 36 counties amid forecasts of a "historic wind event", which it said could damage facilities and cause new fires.

The warning came as wildfires forced some 50,000 people from their homes.

A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles and Sonoma counties.

California's fire department says the state is experiencing "critical fire weather".

Skip Twitter post by @CAL_FIREEnd of Twitter post by @CAL_FIRE
What is PG&E telling Californians?
PG&E on Friday warned about 850,000 customers - whose households are estimated to contain about 2 million people - that they "may be impacted" by a power cut between Saturday evening and midday on Monday, citing forecasts of potential extreme weather.

"PG&E will need to turn off power for safety several hours before the potentially damaging winds arrive," the company said in a statement.

"The weather event could be the most powerful in California in decades."

The company said high winds "pose a higher risk of damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread", adding that vegetation was especially vulnerable to fire because it had been dried out by previous winds.

The warning from PG&E came as the company faced scrutiny over its possible role in the fires.

The company says the Kincade Fire that started in northern California on Wednesday began seven minutes after a nearby power line was damaged.

It has not yet confirmed whether the power glitch sparked the Kincade Fire.

The deadliest wildfire in the state's history - which killed 85 people in northern California in 2018 - was caused by PG&E power lines.

Commenting on the latest fire, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday that the company "simply did not do their job". He condemned "years and years of greed, years and years of mismanagement in the utilities".

'Seconds to get out'
BBC correspondent Peter Bowes lives in the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles, where the Tick Fire has been raging.

"My partner was in the house and had just seconds to get out, to pick up the dog, throw the dog in the car - gently - just get out. It happened that quickly and all our neighbours did exactly the same thing," he said.

He later tweeted photos of the devastation.

Skip Twitter post by @peterbowesEnd of Twitter post by @peterbowes
Where are the major fires?
The Kincade Fire, which started on Wednesday, has burned through 21,900 acres (8,800 hectares) of land in Sonoma County - one of California's best-known wine regions.

More than 1,300 firefighters are tackling the blaze, which remains uncontained.

There are a number of other major fires, including:

The Tick Fire in Los Angeles County has burned at least 4,300 acres in the Santa Clarita region
The Old Water Fire in San Bernardino County has burned 95 acres, shutting off a major highway
The Cabrillo Fire in San Mateo County, south of the town of Pescadero, has burnt about 95 acres
The Sawday Fire in San Diego County, which began on Friday, has burned 97 acres, some 40 miles northeast of San Diego
The Saddle Ridge Fire in Los Angeles County has burned more than 8,700 acres over the last 14 days
The Muir Fire in Marin County has burned 58 hectares
The Mines Fire in Alameda County has burned some 35 hectares since Thursday night
The Miller Fire in San Diego County has burned about 37 hectares since Friday afternoon
What's caused the wildfires?
According to a report filed to the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, a "broken jumper" - which connects power lines to towers - was discovered at 21:20 local time on Wednesday.

The fire began at 21:27, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The news sent share prices of PG&E tumbling on Friday, as investors feared the company might be held responsible for the Kincade Fire.

The company is already seeking bankruptcy protection as it faces lawsuits over last year's deadly Camp Fire. It was found to have been sparked by aging equipment owned by PG&E.

It spawned billions of dollars in liability claims against the company.

High winds appear to have spread the fires - gusts of up to 70mph (112km/h) have swept much of the state.

California is affected by Santa Ana winds, which are known for being dry and gusty, exacerbating wildfires.

Who is affected?
On Thursday morning, PG&E shut off power in 15 California counties to prevent accidental fires, affecting about 180,000 homes.

Power was restored to most customers on Thursday night. But officials warn of more outages over the weekend in regions experiencing high winds and dry heat.

Schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District remained closed on Friday because of air quality and safety concerns.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50191237.

 

[sweep_shot]

New evacuations have been ordered in California as officials warn wildfires could spread because of extremely strong winds.

Some 50,000 residents in the towns of Windsor and Healdsburg, north of San Francisco, have been told to move.

Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) said it would turn off power in 36 counties for 48 hours or longer, affecting up to two million people.

There are fears wind gusts could hit power lines, causing new fires.

A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles and Sonoma counties, and thousands of firefighters were still battling flames.

What's the forecast?
The Kincade Fire, which started on Wednesday, has burned through 25,455 acres (10,300 hectares) of land in Sonoma County, one of California's best-known wine regions.

The fire was burning in remote steep terrain making access difficult, the state fire department said. On Saturday, it was about 10% contained.

Winds in the region were expected to pick up from 20:00 local time on Saturday (03:00 GMT on Sunday) and gusts were forecast to hit 85mph (137km/h).

The National Weather Service issued a "red flag" warning for areas around the Kincade Fire, which had destroyed some 50 structures.

On Saturday, PG&E warned about 940,000 homes and businesses could be impacted by the power cut between Saturday evening and midday on Monday.

The warning from PG&E came as the company faced scrutiny over its possible role in the fires.

In suburban Los Angeles, the Tick Fire had charred 4,615 acres and was 25% contained, according to county officials. All residents who were told to evacuate have returned home.

Nine structures were destroyed but no injuries were reported.

'Seconds to get out'
BBC correspondent Peter Bowes lives in the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles, where the Tick Fire has been raging.

"My partner was in the house and had just seconds to get out, to pick up the dog, throw the dog in the car - gently - just get out. It happened that quickly and all our neighbours did exactly the same thing," he said.

He later tweeted photos of the devastation.

What's caused the wildfires?
According to a report filed to the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, a "broken jumper" - which connects power lines to towers - was discovered at 21:20 on Wednesday.

The fire began at 21:27, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The news sent share prices of PG&E tumbling on Friday, as investors feared the company might be held responsible for the Kincade Fire.

The company is already seeking bankruptcy protection as it faces lawsuits over last year's Camp Fire, which killed 85 people.

The deadliest wildfire in the state's history was sparked by ageing equipment owned by PG&E. It spawned billions of dollars in liability claims against the company.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50196185.

 

[sweep_shot]

Californian Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency as wildfires, whipped up by fierce winds, continue to sweep through the area.

Some 180,000 people in the north have been ordered to leave their homes and roads around Santa Rosa were packed with cars as people tried to flee.

Tens of thousands of homes are under threat from the wildfires.

The biggest blackouts in the state's history have already left a million people without electricity.

Power companies are trying to stop damaged cables from triggering new fires.

Another million people are expected to lose their supplies in the hours ahead.

What area is being evacuated?
The evacuation order encompasses a huge area of Sonoma County, including Santa Rosa.

Sonoma has been ravaged by the Kincade Fire, which has burned through at least 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) of land.

Why is the power being switched off?
Fears about the extent of the wildfires led Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to initiate a precautionary blackout expected to be the largest in state history.

PG&E said the power cuts would affect 940,000 households and businesses across 36 counties in northern California - hitting an estimated two million people.

"We have begun implementing the public safety power shutoff", a PG&E official confirmed in a press conference on Saturday evening.

In a statement the previous day, PG&E warned customers that they could be affected by a mass blackout, citing forecasts of potential extreme weather.

The warning came as the company faced scrutiny over its possible role in the fires.

The Kincade Fire in northern California began seven minutes after a nearby power line was damaged, but PG&E has not yet confirmed if the power glitch started the blaze.

The company is already seeking bankruptcy protection as it faces lawsuits over last year's Camp Fire, which killed 85 people. The deadliest wildfire in the state's history was sparked by ageing equipment owned by PG&E. It spawned billions of dollars in liability claims against the company.

In a video posted to Twitter on Saturday, Governor Newsom said the power cuts were "infuriating everyone, and rightfully so".

"We are going to do our best to get through these high wind events... and get these lights back on and do everything in our power to make sure PG&E's never in a position where they're doing this to us again," he said.

What's the forecast?
The Kincade Fire was about 10% contained as of Sunday morning local time.

The fire was burning in remote, steep terrain, making access difficult, the state fire department said.

The National Weather Service said a powerful windstorm was expected to create "potentially historic fire weather conditions" in the region.

By Sunday morning, gusts had reached 90mph (144km/h) in the hills north of Santa Rosa and up to 50mph across San Francisco's East Bay, the forecaster said.

Forecasts predict the high winds will continue into Monday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a "red flag" warning for areas around the Kincade Fire. A "red flag" warning informs firefighting services that conditions are ideal for wildfires.

In a press conference on Sunday, a meteorologist for the service said these conditions are expected to last until Monday.

"We're at the peak of the wind event right now," the meteorologist said. "We still have another 24 hours of dangerous red flag conditions."

Skip Twitter post by @CALFIRELNUEnd of Twitter post by @CALFIRELNU
In suburban Los Angeles, the Tick Fire had charred 4,615 acres and was 55% contained as of Sunday morning. All residents who were told to evacuate have returned home.

Firefighters have also been battling several other blazes in the state.

Mexico's Baja California state is also tackling fires. Authorities on Friday said three people had died there and more than 150 homes had been destroyed.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50196185.

 

[sweep_shot]

Thousands of Los Angeles residents have been told to evacuate because of a fast-moving wildfire that began in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Getty Fire started near the Getty Center arts complex and spread to about 500 acres (202 ha), close to some of the city's most expensive homes.

California's governor has declared a state-wide emergency as wildfires continue to rage in many other areas.

NBA star Lebron James was among those forced to flee the LA fire.

Actor and former state governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had also evacuated.

"If you are in an evacuation zone, don't screw around," he tweeted. "Get out."

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced he would sign an emergency declaration to draw more resources to fight the Getty fire.

How many people are being evacuated?
Some 3,300 homes are in the mandatory evacuation zone.

The wildfire is threatening LA's affluent Brentwood neighbourhood, and a local resident told the LA Times he was debating whether or not to leave, and which car of his two cars should be left behind.

"I have to figure out what I'm going to do with my Ferrari," the 47-year-old man said.

Meanwhile, wildfires are continuing to sweep through northern California.

Some 180,000 people have been ordered to leave homes, with roads around Santa Rosa north of San Francisco packed with cars as people tried to flee.

All schools in Sonoma County were closed for Monday and Tuesday as tens of thousands of homes remain under threat.

The biggest blackouts in the state's history have already left a million people without electricity. Power companies are trying to stop damaged cables from triggering new fires.

Another million people have been told they could lose supplies.

The main evacuation order in the north encompasses a huge area of Sonoma County, including Santa Rosa.

Sonoma has been ravaged by the Kincade Fire, which started on Wednesday and has burned through 50,000 acres of land, fanned by high winds.

The 150-year-old Soda Rock Winery was among the structures destroyed.

There are fears the blazes could cross the 101 highway and enter areas that have not seen wildfires since the 1940s.

Some 43 of California's 58 counties are under "red flag" warnings. The warning informs firefighting services that conditions are ideal for wildfires.

Why is the power being switched off?
Fears about the extent of the wildfires led Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to initiate a precautionary blackout.

Power was shut off to 940,000 customers in northern California over the weekend.

PG&E said it would work to restore services on Monday but warned of further power cuts as soon as Tuesday if the forecast strong winds returned.

The warnings came as the company faced scrutiny over its possible role in the fires.

The Kincade Fire began seven minutes after a nearby power line was damaged, but PG&E has not yet confirmed if the power glitch started the blaze.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50212582.

 

[sweep_shot]

An "extreme red flag warning" has been issued in southern California, marking the first such alert of its kind.

The warning, issued by the Los Angeles weather service, covers Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernadino counties.

The winds are expected to reach 80mph (128kmph) and there is concern they will help the fire, which has already burned through 658 acres, spread.

Some 1,100 firefighters are tackling the fire and over 10,000 structures are at risk, authorities say.

At least eight homes have been destroyed by the Getty fire and five others damaged. About 5% of the fire is contained so far, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Winds are expected to pick up late on Tuesday with forecasters warning that the winds could hit their worst levels of the season.

"This Santa Ana wind event will likely be the strongest we have seen so far this season," the weather service said.

"These strong winds combined with a long duration of single-digit humidities and dry fuels will likely bring very critical fire weather conditions, making this an extreme red flag warning event."

Fire chief Ralph M. Terrazas told the New York Times that his goal for Tuesday was to increase containment ahead of the evening's strong winds. He added he was very concerned by the threats the winds posed.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the more than 7,000 residents evacuated so far should not plan on returning home until conditions are safe.

Basketball star LeBron James and actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger are among those who have evacuated their homes.

On Tuesday, James sent a taco truck to feed a number of firefighters tackling the Getty Fire.

The Getty Centre, which houses a large art collection, is also at risk of the fire.

The museum said in a tweet that the art is "protected by a state-of-the-art technology" and that the safest place for it is inside.

The cause of the Getty Fire is not yet known however an investigation has been launched.

A number of wildfires have broken out in the state over the last week. The Kincade Fire in northern California has burned through more than 74,000 acres.

Thousands of people have been left without power as companies shut-off electricity to prevent a further outbreak of fires. Currently, about 15% of the fire is contained.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50229657.

 

[sweep_shot]

SIMI VALLEY: A new wildfire erupted on Wednesday in wind-whipped Southern California, forcing the evacuation of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and nearby homes, as both ends of the state struggled with blazes, dangerously gusty weather and deliberate blackouts.

The brush fire broke out just before dawn in the Simi Valley area north of Los Angeles and grew to more than 400 acres, Ventura County officials said. They gave no immediate estimate of how many people were ordered to leave.

Aircraft dropped water and fire retardant on the blaze, and fire officials said the flames were being pushed away from the library by strong Santa Ana winds blowing from inland California toward the coast.

Library spokeswoman Melissa Giller said the hilltop museum was safe. She said hundreds of goats are brought in each year to eat away vegetation that could fuel wildfires on the 300-acre (120-hectare) grounds, where Reagan and his wife, Nancy, are buried next to each other on a hillside.

Meanwhile, frustration and anger mounted across Northern California as Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the state’s largest utility, undertook its third round of sweeping blackouts in a week, hoping to prevent its electrical equipment from toppling or coming into contact with branches and sparking fires.

PG&E said Tuesday’s power shut-offs would affect about 1.5 million people in some 30 counties including the Sierra foothills, wine country and San Francisco Bay Area. They included 1 million still without power from a blackout over the weekend.

Across the darkened neighborhoods, people worried about charging cellphones and electric vehicles, finding gasoline and cash, staying warm and keeping their food from spoiling. Some ended up at centers set up by PG&E where people could go to power their electronics and get free water, snacks, flashlights and solar lanterns.

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1513936/wildfire-erupts-near-reagan-library-in-california.

 

[sweep_shot]

US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding for the wildfires sweeping California, in a Twitter spat with the state's governor.

Nearly 100,000 acres have been destroyed by wildfires in recent weeks, and thousands have been forced from their homes.

Mr Trump blamed Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, saying he had done a "terrible job of forest management".

Several of this year's major wildfires have burned in unforested areas.

"Every year, as the fire's (sic) rage & California burns, it is the same thing - and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more. Get your act together Governor," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

Mr Newsom, who has been highly critical of Mr Trump's environmental policies, responded: "You don't believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation."

Increased temperatures due to global warming are causing huge wildfires in California regardless of how wet the previous winter was, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Drier, warmer conditions lead to vegetation drying out and becoming more flammable.

The president made a similar threat to cut federal aid last year, when the most deadly fire in California's history killed 86 people.

What's happening with the fires?
Firefighters have contained about half of the Maria Fire, the major blaze in southern California.

The fire, which broke out on Thursday, has burned more than 9,400 acres, the Ventura County Fire Department said on Sunday.

The largest blaze, the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, was 76% contained on Sunday after burning nearly 80,000 acres since it started on 23 October, officials said.

All evacuation orders were lifted on Saturday.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50284656.