250,000 people evacuated in the most fierce wildfire in history in California
The wildfires in California in recent days have now become the most destructive fires in the history of the state of California, USA, with up to 250,000 people forced to leave their homes, many trapped in the raging fire, and the death toll has now risen to 25.
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Low humidity and hot winds caused the fire to spread rapidly. Photo: Shutterstock |
BBCCiting sources from California state officials, the death toll from the catastrophic wildfires Cam Fire, Woolseyy Fire and Hill Fire has risen to 25. The death toll rose rapidly after firefighters found 14 bodies of people who were unable to escape the fast-moving blaze in the town of Paradise in Northern California, bringing the total number of deaths in the area to 23.
Two more bodies were found further south, near Malibu. About 250,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes after three fires simultaneously broke out across the state.
The incident has angered US President Donald Trump, who has blamed poor forest management for the severity of the fires.
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| The sky in Paradise is tinged red as fires burn on all four sides surrounding the town. Photo: AFP |
The Camp Fire started in Butte County on November 8 (local time) and firefighters were left helpless as the flames quickly engulfed the town of Paradise. According toDailymailAs of the evening of November 9, the Camp Fire had burned down 6,453 homes and 260 commercial structures in Butte County, north of Sacramento. According toDailymail, The Cam Fire has become the deadliest wildfire in California history.
Then, another fire broke out on the southern coast of Malibu on November 9 and has now doubled in size. The Woolsey Fire now covers about 28,000 hectares.
Meteorologists warn the dangerous conditions could continue into next week as low humidity and strong hot winds fan the flames.
According toBBC, images of the town of Paradise show the sky here is red with fire and smoke rising. As of November 10, the Camp Fire has spread to 40,500 hectares and is only 20% contained. Firefighters estimate that it will take up to 3 weeks to bring the fire under control.
ReporterBBCJames Cook used a play on words to describe the terrible fire: “Paradise has become hell.” Cook said the town was now just a pile of bare ruins surrounded by flames on all sides.
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| Burnt out and abandoned vehicles left on the road by people fleeing the fire. Photo: EPA |
Videos of families rushing to escape the flames have gone viral, while photos of burned-out cars have raised concerns among authorities about how many more people were unable to escape in time during the horrific natural disaster.
President Trump has criticized California officials for mismanagement and threatened to cut federal funding because he accused them of indirectly causing the situation.
A spokesman for Governor Jerry Brown quickly responded, calling Trump's comments "uninformed and inappropriate."
According toDailymailThe cause of the fire is believed to be a malfunction in the 115KV transmission line of Pacific Gas & Electric. The fire from the accident may have sparked a raging forest fire.
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| At least three major fires are burning simultaneously in California. Graphics: BBC |
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| Firefighters tried to contain the fire from spreading further. Photo: Reuters |
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| Aerial view of Malibu, California, the fire has burned down all the houses and structures it passed through. Photo: Reuters |
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| Fires have left the Thousand Oaks, California, area looking like an "apocalyptic" scene. Photo: Reuters |