Death toll in northern California fires rises to at least 25

DPA, 11TH NOVEMBER, 2018- The death toll in the fatal fires that have hit northern California has risen to 23, the Butte County Fire Department said late Saturday.

Fourteen more bodies were discovered Saturday, according to the incident update on Twitter. The so-called Camp Fire in the northern California town of Paradise had already claimed nine lives.

The 23 killed were said to be civilians, with three firefighters injured. More than 6,450 homes have been destroyed since Thursday. More than 4,000 firefighters are battling the blaze.

Earlier, Los Angeles County sheriff’s chief John Benedict said two people had died in flames in the south of the western state, where hundreds of thousands of people including actors and celebrities have been evacuated as blazes there doubled in size. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands evacuated in the state’s south as flames doubled in size. Los Angeles County sheriff’s chief John Benedict said two people had died in the fire area but that the deaths were under investigation.

Officials also said Saturday that more than 250,000 people had been evacuated from the area, including Malibu, known for its celebrities.

“Our firefighters have been facing some extreme, tough fire conditions that they said that they’ve never seen in their lives,” said LA county fire chief Daryl Osby. Firefighting helicopters worked through the night in the county to try to keep damage to a minimum.

Accuweather meterologist Brett Rathbun said winds in southern California are set to pick up again on Sunday, spreading flames.