In a matter of days, a Northern California fire has become the most destructive in the state’s modern history, killing at least nine people and wiping out much of an entire town.
A quarter of a million people have been forced from their homes statewide as the Camp Fire in the north and two other major fires — Woolsey and Hill — in Southern California burned this weekend.
As firefighters struggle to contain the uncontrolled wildfires, forecasters said intense winds and low humidity could fuel the blazes and make them spread even farther.Much of the state hasn’t seen rain in more than a month, according to CNN meteorologists, and the dry vegetation has only served to fuel the fires.
Evacuees trapped in traffic abandoned their cars and ran with their children in tow as the Camp Fire quickly closed in in Northern California’s Butte County.
Malibu mansions burnedto the ground in Southern California, while another fast-growing brush fire left employees at the Los Angeles Zoo racing to protect animals from smoke.
In Thousand Oaks, a community mourning this week’s mass shooting, arecreation centerwhere survivors grieved was filled with people fleeing the fire.
Latest developments
• Death toll: The fast-moving Camp Fire killed at least nine people in Northern California. Some were inside cars, and others were near or inside homes. The dead have not been identified.
• Burning and growing: The Camp Fire is the largest of the three major fires, swelling to 100,000 acres by Saturday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The Woolsey Fire doubled in size overnight, growing to 70,000 acres. The Hill Fire was at 4,500 acres.
• Trump tweets: President Donald Trumpblamed the wildfires on the “gross mismanagement of the forests” in a tweet early Saturday. “Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” he said.
• Massive evacuations: Fire officials estimate the number of people forced from their homes statewide is more than 250,000.
• Containment: Firefighters are struggling to put down the flames. The Camp Fire is 20% contained, while the Woolsey Fire remains uncontrolled. The Hill Fire was 25% contained.
• Destruction: In Northern California, nearly 7,000 structures have been destroyed, including 80% to 90% of the homes in Paradise, north of Sacramento. In Los Angeles and Ventura counties, a significant number of homes were destroyed or damaged, fire officials said.
Camp Fire
The Camp Fire has killed at least nine people in Paradise and destroyed 6,453 structures.
The bodies of five people were found in or near a vehicle, and the other four were in or outside a home.
It took just a few hours for the fire to explode in size after breaking out early Thursday morning. Among the communities first hit was Paradise, a town about 80 miles north of Sacramento.
Families raced to escape the blaze as it consumed much of the town. Footage captured by evacuees showed flames along roads, scorching trees and devouring houses.
“The flames were whipping and spreading so fast,” Whitney Vaughan said after fleeing her home in Paradise. “It began to jump the road. There wasn’t anywhere to go.”
The town was mostly empty, and the main road littered with downed trees and power lines. Burnt out cars line blackened roadsides, abandoned in the panic and chaos of the evacuations.
“We do intend to rebuild,” Paradise Mayor Jody Jones told CNN. “It’s going to be a process — a lot of hard work, a lot of coming together.
“We want to see Paradise be Paradise again.”
An estimated 52,000 people evacuated in Butte County, where Paradise is located.
Fire officials said three firefighters and some civilians were hurt, but details about their injuries were unknown. About 35 people have been reported missing, authorities said.
Woolsey Fire
More than 200,000 people have fled in Ventura County and in Malibu in Los Angeles County due to the Woolsey Fire, officials said.
Firefighters worked to protect thousands of students and staff sheltering in place Saturday at Pepperdine University as flames started reaching the campus overnight, school officials said.
The fire crossed US 101 a few miles east of Thousand Oaks — the site of Wednesday night’s bar shooting — and was headed south to the Pacific coast in the direction of Malibu Creek State Park and the city of Malibu, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
In Malibu, mandatory evacuations were ordered for the entire city of about 12,000 people that’s known for its celebrity beachside homes.
The howling Santa Ana winds fueled the Woolsey Fire. These are strong, dry winds that high-pressure systems push from east to west, from the mountains and desert areas down into the Los Angeles area.
A round of Santa Ana winds is forecast to whip the area Sunday through Tuesday, though it may be weaker than Friday’s.
Hill Fire
The Hill Fire is burning nearthe site of this week’s mass shooting in Thousand Oaks.
The fire started Thursday and initially spread quickly, torching 10,000 acres in six hours. But firefighters have made some progress.
Part of the fast-moving blaze was burning into the footprint of a 2013 wildfire, which could slow its spread, Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said.
No houses or businesses have been lost, but a number of RVs and outbuildings have been burned, and a firefighter suffered a minor injury, authorities said.
