NoCal toll hits 56
About 130 people missing and nearly 9,000 homes destroyed near Paradise; SoCal authorities are investigating if third body is related to Woolsey fire
CALIF.» With at least 130 people missing, National Guard troops searched Wednesday PARADISE, through charred debris for more victims of California’s deadliest wildf ire as federal and state off icials toured the ruins of a community completely destroyed by flames.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke joined Gov. Jerry Brown on a visit to the leveled town of Paradise, telling reporters it was the worst fire devastation he had ever seen.
“Now is not the time to point fingers,” Zinke said. “There are lots of reasons these catastrophic fires are happening.” He cited warmer temperatures, dead trees and poor forest management.
Brown, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump’s policies, said he spoke with Trump, who pledged federal assistance.
“This is so devastating that I don’t really have the words to describe it,” Brown said, adding that officials would need to learn how to better prevent fires from becoming so deadly.
Nearly 8,800 homes were destroyed when flames hit Paradise, a former gold-
mining camp popular with retirees, on Nov. 8, killing at least 56 people in California’s deadliest wildfire, Sheriff Kory Honea announced Wednesday night.
Honea said the task of searching for bodies was so vast that his office brought in 287 more searchers Wednesday, including the National Guard troops, bringing the total number of searchers to 461 plus 22 cadaver dogs.
He said a rapid-DNA assessment system was expected to be in place soon to speed up identifications of the dead, though officials have tentatively identified 47 of the 56.
A body was found in a burned home Wednesday in Southern California, and authorities were investigating to determine if it’s the third victim of a huge wildfire in Southern California that destroyed hundreds of homes.
Two deaths were previously linked to the weeklong blaze in Ventura and Los Angeles counties that so far has scorched 152 square miles, engulfing homes, scenic canyon getaways and celebrity estates. The two unidentified adults were found dead last week in a car overtaken by flames.
The body under investigation was found in a burned residence in the Agoura Hills area. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department called it an apparent fire-related death but did not have any further information.
The Woolsey fire started Nov. 8 and quickly became one of the largest and most destructive fires in state history. Firefighters have made steady progress this week but warned that many hot spots remain.
Before sunrise Wednesday there was a flare-up in rugged wilderness at the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains as winds buffeted parts of the region.