California’s wild fires grow, death toll rises to over 30, Gerard Butler shares photo of destroyed Malibu home

The Camp Fire burning near Chico, California is now the single most destructive and third-deadliest fire in state history as the death roll rose to 31 on Sunday with the discovery of six more bodies. Check out the incredible NASA photo below.
The Woolsey Fire in southern California is threatening lives and property too, and is poised to spread further. Already more than 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate statewide.

The Camp Fire has so far torched more than 109,000 acres since igniting Thursday morning.

“The town is devastated, everything is destroyed,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesperson Scott Maclean told Reuters. “There’s nothing much left standing.”

The governor’s office declared a state of emergency for the region and requested federal aid.

Satellite imagery from NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System shows smoke from California’s Camp and Woolsey fires on Nov. 10, 2018.

CAMP FIRE

Emergency teams have been sifting through the remains of more than 6,700 homes and businesses burned down in the town of Paradise.

The town and surrounding area bore the brunt of the inferno, which started in nearby forest on Thursday.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Sunday the bodies of five people had been found in their burned-out homes and a sixth was found inside a vehicle.

The mayor of Paradise, Jody Jones, gave the BBC an update on the situation in the town.

“Most of the residential [area] is gone. I would say 90%,” she said. “I had an opportunity to go up there and take a look for myself. Just about everyone I know lost their home.”

WOOLSEY FIRE

This fire started on Thursday near Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles.

By Sunday it had consumed 83,000 acres and destroyed at least 177 buildings, officials said. It is only 10% contained. The smaller Hill Fire, nearby, has scorched 4,530 acres and is 75% contained.

Luxury homes in Malibu and other beach communities are among properties that have fallen victim to the flames.

Hollywood actor Gerard Butler shared a picture of a charred house on Twitter, writing: “Returned to my house in Malibu after evacuating. Heartbreaking time across California.” He thanked firefighters for their “courage, spirit and sacrifice.”

Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, where the HBO series Westworld is filmed, was also destroyed.

“Winds are already blowing. They are going to blow for the next three days. Your house can be rebuilt but you can’t bring your life back,” said Los Angeles County fire chief Daryl Osby.