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Hundreds of thousands evacuate as California wildfires turn deadly

Author: CBS News
Published: Updated:
Photo via Associated Press

Not a single resident of Paradise, California, can be seen anywhere in town after most of them fled the Northern California community that may be lost forever. Most of the town’s buildings are in ruin. Entire neighborhoods are leveled. The business district is destroyed.

In a single day, the Sierra Nevada foothill town of 27,000 was largely incinerated by flames that moved so fast there was nothing firefighters could do. Only a day after the “Camp Fire” began, the blaze had destroyed more than 6,700 structures, almost all of them homes — making it California’s most destructive wildfire since record-keeping began.

Authorities said at least nine people were killed by the “Camp Fire,” which as of Saturday morning was 20 percent contained.

It is one of three major blazes that firefighters are battling across the state.

In Southern California, the 35,000 acre “Woolsey Fire” was 0 percent contained early Saturday. It has forced over 200,000 evacuations. The “Hill Fire” was holding at 6,000 acres.

Follow California wildfires updates below:

Camp Fire grows to 100,000 acres

The Camp Fire has grown to 100,000 acres, according to officials. As of Saturday morning, it was 20 percent contained.

CAMP FIRE update as of 10 a.m. ET:

– Size: 100,000

– Containment: 20 percent

-Civilian Fatalities: 9 (via @ButteSheriff)

– Firefighter Injuries: 3

– Structures Threatened: 15,000

– Single Residences Destroyed: 6,453

– Commercial Structures Destroyed: 260

Red Flag Warning extended in California

A Red Flag Warning denoting a high risk of wildfire has been extended in California until Tuesday, CBS Los Angeles reports.

Red Flag Warnings are issued for conditions that could lead to “extreme fire behavior” within 24 hours, according to Cal Fire.

The National Weather Service Sacramento said “critical fire weather conditions” are expected across Northern California Saturday night to Monday morning “due to strong winds & dry conditions.”

The National Weather Service Los Angeles said more winds are also expected in Southern California.

“After a brief period of light winds today, expect another round of Santa Ana winds expected Sunday morning through Tuesday,” it tweeted. “Peak winds each morning through early afternoon hours. Here is a graphic for Sunday’s expected gusts. Thanks to all the firefighters!”

Wildfires besiege city reeling from mass shooting

A city reeling from the tragedy of a mass shooting was under a siege of a different sort Friday as raging wildfires on both sides of the city forced widespread evacuations and shut down part of the main freeway to town.

For Thousand Oaks, which had been considered one of the safest cities in the nation before a gunman massacred 12 people at a country music bar, the spasm of violence jolted the city’s sense of security. Encroaching flames, despite the near-constant threat of fire in the bone-dry state, presented an entirely different hazard.

“It’s devastating. It’s like ‘welcome to hell,'” resident Cynthia Ball said about the dual disasters while she was outside the teen center serving as a shelter for evacuees. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s like we’re all walking around kind of in a trance.”

A day earlier, the facility had been the location where grieving family members had gathered and received the grim news on the fate of loved ones who had not returned from the Borderline Bar and Grill, where a Marine combat veteran went on a shooting rampage Wednesday. The investigation into what drove 28-year-old Ian David Long to kill was continuing even as the city about 40 miles from Los Angeles was under threat. Three-quarters of the city of 130,000 was under evacuation orders, and that likely included people affected by the shooting, Thousand Oaks Mayor Andy Fox said.

Read more: Wildfires besiege California city reeling from deadly shooting rampage

Flames in Malibu race down hillsides toward the Pacific

The Woolsey Fire near Los Angeles is smaller than the “Camp Fire” burning in Northern California but is threatening hundreds of thousands of people as flames surge toward the Pacific Ocean.

CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas reported Saturday morning that flames in Malibu are racing down hillsides toward the Pacific. The fire has grown to 35,000 acres, or 54 square miles – roughly the size of Akron, Ohio.

Overnight, it showed no signs of slowing down as homes reduced to their foundations toppled to the ground. Bone-dry conditions and unrelenting winds have blown the blaze forward at a breakneck pace. Firefighters are struggling to keep up.

The Woolsey Fire and smaller Hill blaze have destroyed more than 150 homes and prompted evacuation orders for about 250,000 people from Thousand Oaks northwest of Los Angeles to Malibu.

Trump threatens to withhold federal payments

President Donald Trump is threatening to withhold federal payments to California, claiming its forest management is “so poor.”

Mr. Trump said Saturday “there is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly fires in California.” He said “billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!”

As the fast-moving fire ravaged Northern California, highways were jammed with cars as people desperately tried to escape. One man battled burning ash as he tried to find a way out. He’s safe now, but others were forced to abandon their cars and run for their lives.

Five miles north of Paradise, Tisha Aroyo and her grandfather stayed behind. He said he thought he could save her house, but they would only watch helplessly as their home burned.

JT Ford and his wife Stacey went to a nearby pasture, where they watched their home go up in flames. “The fire roared through so quick it was only an hour of utter panic and fear because then everything burned out,” Ford said.

Flames have moved so quickly there’s not a lot firefighters can do. “That fire from the second it started was off to the races,” said Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire. “It’s all hands on deck to rescue people and get people out of harm’s way.”

Celebrities forced to evacuate homes

Kim Kardashian West, Alyssa Milano and Rainn Wilson were among the celebrities forced to evacuate their homes.

“Pray for Calabasas. Just landed back home and had 1 hour to pack up & evacuate our home,” Kardashian West wrote on Instagram while sharing video of the blaze. “Firefighters are arriving. Thank you for all that you do for us!!!”

Meanwhile, Milano tweeted saying she was forced to evacuate her children, dogs and horses. The actress later said “everything with a heartbeat is safe.”

Wilson said his house was evacuated due to the fires. He asked for his Twitter followers to pray for residents in Thousand Oaks following the shooting that left 12 people dead, writing that they now forced to deal with the wildfires.

Death toll rises to 23

Northern California sheriff said 14 additional bodies have been found, bringing the death toll to 23 in massive wildfire. The fire has burned 90,000 acres and destroyed more than 6,700 structures.

Three of the victims were found outside homes and four others inside vehicles, Butte County Sheriff Korey Honea said Friday. Another victim was found near outside their vehicle, he said.

The comments were Mr. Trump’s first about the massive wildfires burning in California, including a blaze that incinerated most of the Northern California town of Paradise and killed at least nine people.

3 major fires by the numbers

Firefighters are battling three major wildfires in California. Here’s a breakdown by the numbers as of Friday evening, according to Cal Fire and local officials.

The Camp Fire

  • Location: Butte County
  • 90,000 acres burned
  • 5 percent contained
  • 35 people reported missing
  • 9 fatalities confirmed
  • 1,385 people in shelters
  • 52,000 have been evacuated

Woolsey Fire

  • Location: Ventura County
  • 200,000 residents under mandatory evacuation
  • 35,000 acres burned
  • Zero percent contained

Hill Fire

  • Location: Ventura County
  • About 4,500 acres burned
  • 15 percent contained
  • Firefighters are making good progress, fire chief remains optimist

Utility company will cooperate with investigation

The Pacific Gas & Electric Company said it will cooperate with any investigations stemming from the massive wildfire in Northern California. The company told state regulators Thursday that it experienced a problem on an electrical transmission line near the site of the blaze minutes before the fire broke out.

The company said it later observed damage to a transmission tower on the line. Lynsey Paulo, a company spokesperson, said the information was preliminary and stressed the cause of the fire has not been determined

Wildfire causes “utter panic” as people try to escape

As the fast-moving fire ravaged Northern California, highways were jammed with cars as people desperately tried to escape. One man battled burning ash as he tried to find a way out. He’s safe now, but others were forced to abandon their cars and run for their lives.

Five miles north of Paradise, Tisha Aroyo and her grandfather stayed behind. He said he thought he could save her house, but they would only watch helplessly as their home burned.

JT Ford and his wife Stacey went to a nearby pasture, where they watched their home go up in flames. “The fire roared through so quick it was only an hour of utter panic and fear because then everything burned out,” Ford said.

Flames have moved so quickly there’s not a lot firefighters can do. “That fire from the second it started was off to the races,” said Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire. “It’s all hands on deck to rescue people and get people out of harm’s way.”

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