‘Extreme fire danger’ fuels California blazes

Santa Ana winds roaring across Southern California and similarly stiff gusts to the north conspired with low humidity and parched terrain Monday to hinder the efforts of firefighters gamely combating historically devastating wildfires.

The death toll stood at 31, and more than 6,500 homes have been destroyed. More than 8,000 firefighters were battling the wind and flames.

The weather prognosis was not good.

“The latest rounds of Santa Ana winds are going strong in Southern California,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Samuhel told USA TODAY. “We are seeing gusts near 50 mph.”

The winds drive down the humidity, helping turn vegetation to tinder in an area that hasn’t seen rain in a month, Samuhel said. Relief in the form of precipitation remains a week away, and the winds probably will remain a force into Wednesday, he said.

In Northern California, the Camp fire 90 miles north of Sacramento had killed 29 people and scorched more than 6,400 homes. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea warned the death toll could rise. He said 228 people were unaccounted for.

The Camp fire is the most destructive in state history, and the death toll matches the 1933 Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles as the deadliest wildfire in state history.

Samuhel said firefighters could get a modest break from the winds Tuesday but added that the humidity will remain low.

“Relief might be an overstatement, but at least the wind won’t be as bad,” he said.

Cal Fire, the statewide fire protection agency, said Monday that the Camp fire had grown to 176 square miles and was 25 percent contained. Search teams were hunting through the fire-swept city of Paradise, population 27,000, looking for more victims. A mobile DNA lab was set up to help identify victims.