Blaze: body search still on

– Hundreds of volunteers and police officers spent the Thanksgiving holiday combing through the wreckage of California’s deadliest wildfire, searching for the remains of victims killed in the blaze as rains looked set to complicate their work.

The Camp Fire killed at least 83 people and 563 are still unaccounted for in and around Paradise, a community of nearly 27 000 people that was largely incinerated when the flames swept through two weeks ago.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said 820 searchers were in the field, sifting ash and rubble looking for human remains.

Between 10-15cm of rain were forecast to fall by the weekend, raising the risk of mudslides in areas stripped of vegetation.

About 900 firefighters were holding the fire in check, said Scott McLean, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesperson.

The fire is now 90% contained. – Reuters

Chico

Brussels

Preparations for a summit to endorse Britain’s deal to quit the European Union (EU) risked running aground on the rock of Gibraltar yesterday, as Spain defended its veto over the fate of the tiny territory.

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May and leaders of the other 27 EU member states are to meet tomorrow to approve their divorce agreement and set a course for negotiating their future post-Brexit relationship.

But Spanish officials emerged from talks yesterday warning that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez might not attend if London does not put in writing a promise that no future accord on EU relations