MORE BODIES IN THE ASHES
Calif. fire death toll hits 63, with 600 still missing
In the hell with no end that is the Camp Fire in Northern California, the death toll climbed to at least 63 on Friday.
More than 600 people are missing as the blaze continues to burn through the region.
The fire — located about 170 miles northeast of San Francisco — has burned 142,000 acres and is 45% contained, officials said Friday.
The whereabouts of 631 people remained unknown in the latest count, a number that has continued to fluctuate in recent days.
“There are a lot of people displaced, and we’re finding that a lot of people don’t know that we’re looking for them,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said at a press conference Thursday, noting that people can check to see if they’re listed among those missing on the Butte County Sheriff’s website.
Some displaced residents are staying in a Walmart parking lot — but their makeshift camp is slated to close Sunday.
“We’re grateful. We’re better off than some. I’ve been holding it together for
her,” William Goodnight said, gesturing toward his wife Anna. “I’m just breaking down finally.”
Other needy residents visited an assistance center at a former Sears department store in a Chico mall.
The Camp Fire, which began on Nov. 8, isn’t expected to be fully contained until the end of the month. Several towns, including Paradise, have sustained tremendous damage.
It’s the deadliest wildfire in the history of the state.
The total of missing people was up from 297 on Wednesday. More than 9,000 residences have been destroyed by the blaze.
Southern California, too, has endured considerable destruction this month as the Woolsey and Hill fires engulfed the area.
A total of 66 people statewide have lost their lives as a result of the recent fires. The wildfires have resulted in hundreds of flight delays at San Francisco Airport.
About 500 flights were delayed Thursday, with another 195 delayed flights by noon Friday, airport spokesman Doug Yakel told the Associated Press.