Uhonmtess,oMradliebruemdanisnions Senate, governor races

Two people were found dead and scores of houses from the celebrity mansions of Malibu to the mobile homes of seniors in the suburbs burned in a pair of wildfires that stretched across more than 100 square miles of Southern California, authorities said Saturday.

The Florida The two bodies were found secretary of state ordered in a sparsely populated stretch recounts in the U.S. Senate and of Mulholland Highway in Malibu, governor races on Saturday, an but Los Angeles County sheriff’s unprecedented review of two major Chief John Benedict offered contests in the state that took no further details. It brings to 11 five weeks to decide the 2000 the number of people killed in the presidential election. state’s wildfires in the past few

Secretary Ken Detzner issued days, with nine found dead in a the order after the unofficial results Northern California wildfire. in both races fell within the

Firefighters have saved thousands margin that by law triggers a recount. of homes despite working His office was unaware of in “extreme, tough fire conditions any other time either a race for that they said they have governor or U.S. Senate in Florida never seen in their life,” Los Angeles required a recount, let alone County Fire Chief Daryl Osby both in the same election. said. The recount sets up what could Those vicious conditions on be several days of political tension Friday night gave way to calm in this deeply divided state. Saturday, with winds reduce to President Donald Trump tweeted breezes.

Firefighters used the lull to try to rein in the powerful blaze that had grown to 109 square miles (282 square kilometers) and get a grasp of how much damage it did in its first two days.

Osby said losses to homes were “significant” but did not say how many had burned. Officials said without evidence that the elections earlier that 150 houses had been were being stolen. Protesters destroyed and the number would gathered at an elections office rise. Some 250,000 homes are under in Broward County, which is evacuation orders across the quickly becoming a battleground region. in the recount. The protesters

Fire burned in famously ritzy waved signs, used bullhorns and coastal spots like Malibu , where even harangued a food delivery Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian person at one point, asking West, Guillermo del Toro and if there were ballots inside the Martin Sheen were among those food bags. forced out of their homes amid a

The unofficial results show citywide evacuation order. that Republican former U.S. Rep.

But the flames also burned Ron DeSantis led Democratic inland through hills and canyons Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum dotted with modest homes, by 0.41 percentage points in reached into the corner of the San the election for governor. Fernando Valley in Los Angeles,

In the Senate race, Republican and stretched into suburbs like Gov. Rick Scott’s lead over Democratic Thousand Oaks, a city of 130,000 incumbent Bill Nelson is people that just a few days ago 0.14 percentage points. saw 12 people killed in a mass

Detzner ordered machine recounts shooting at a country music bar. in both races. Once completed,

Wildfire raged on both sides of if the differences in the city still in mourning, where the races are at 0.25 percentage some three-quarters of the population are under evacuation orders that officials urged them to heed.

“We’ve had a lot of tragedy in our community,” said Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, whose district includes Thousand Oaks. “We don’t want any more. We do not want any more lives points or below, a hand recount lost.” will be ordered, said Department

Residents couldn’t believe their of State spokeswoman city, known to few outside California Sarah Revell. a week ago, could suddenly

Following the announcement, be gripped by two simultaneous Gillum withdrew his concession horrors. in the governor’s race. “It’s like ‘welcome to hell,’” Cynthia “Let me say clearly, I am replacing Ball said outside a teen center my words of concession serving as a shelter for evacuees. with an uncompromised and unapologetic “I don’t even know what call that we count every to say. It’s like we’re all walking single vote,” he said, adding around kind of in a trance.” that he would accept whatever

At the edge of Thousand Oaks outcome emerges. in Newbury Park at a mobile

In a video released Saturday home for seniors, the fire came afternoon, DeSantis thanked the so quickly that residents had no state’s supervisors of elections, time to gather medications and canvassing boards, and the staffs documents. Firefighters carried for “working hard to ensure that people from homes and put them all lawful votes are counted. He in empty seats of their neighbors’ said he is preparing to become cars, said Carol Napoli, 74. the state’s next governor. Napoli left with her friend, the “It is important that everyone friend’s son and her mother who involved in the election process is in her 90s and had to leave behind strictly adhere to the rule of law her oxygen tank.

“We drove through flames to get out. They had us in like a caravan,” Napoli said. “My girlfriend was driving. She said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this ...’ Her son said, ‘Mom you have to, you have to drive through the flames.’”

Ben Watkins also drove through flames, but he was trying which is the foundation for our to get back home, not leave it. nation,” he said, adding that the

He was headed from Santa election results were “clear and Barbara to Los Angeles when unambiguous.” fire brought traffic to a dead stop

In a statement, Scott implored and he decided to wait it out on a the state’s sheriffs to “watch for beach in Malibu, watching as the any violations and take appropriate blaze drew closer. action” during the recount.

Finally, he decided to make a run for it, hopping in his vehicle

Scott and his supporters, including and driving home through flames Trump, have alleged that lapped at the Pacific Coast that voter fraud is underway in Highway. Democratic-leaning Broward

“It’s survival mode,” Watkins County, where the Republican said. “You’re thinking about how lead has narrowed since Election you have to get home at all costs.” Day. There’s no evidence of

The area burning in Southern voter fraud and the state’s election California is in severe drought, division, which Scott runs, U.S. government analysts said. said Saturday that its observers California emerged from a fiveyear in Broward had seen “no evidence statewide drought last year of criminal activity.” but has had a very dry 2018, pushing

The Florida Department of parts of the state back into Law Enforcement said Friday it drought and leaving others, like has not launched any investigation the area of the Northern California into election fraud. fire, abnormally dry.