Wildfires have been raging across Northern and Southern California for several days. The wildfires have already claimed the lives of at least 31 people across the state. It has also forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents fleeing for safety in what many observers have noted as the deadliest wildfire in the last 85 years.
Recently, rescuers and first responders have discovered the remains of six people in Paradise, a town located in California's northern region. The discovery has brought the total number of deaths to 29. Following this discovery, local authorities released a statement claiming that the wildfire is the deadliest to hit the state in its entire history.
Also known as the Camp Fire, it has ravaged more than 111,000 acres of land and burned more than 6,000 homes. This is according to the data released by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire.
Despite concerted efforts from state and local authorities, reports revealed that more than 200 people are still unaccounted for following the first breakout of the fire. Despite grim possibilities, authorities believe that most of these missing individuals are in shelters or unable to contact their immediate families who reported them to the authorities as missing.
One of the most ravaged regions was in Southern California, in what many would call as the Woolsey Fire. The wildfire in this particular region burned areas from Thousand Oaks to the wealthy coastal region of Malibu. It is important to note that Thousand Oaks has also suffered a recent incident of mass shooting where 12 people perished.
The Woolsey fire threatened close to 60,000 buildings and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents, based on confirmed reports. In order to contain the damage to human life, the city of Calabasas issued a mandatory evacuation order on Sunday afternoon.
Among those that were severely affected by the wildfires are well-known celebrities. Following the clearance to return, actor Gerard Butler posted a photo of his burnt home located in Malibu.
Returned to my house in Malibu after evacuating. Heartbreaking time across California. Inspired as ever by the courage, spirit and sacrifice of firefighters. Thank you @LAFD. If you can, support these brave men and women at https://t.co/ei7c7F7cZx. pic.twitter.com/AcBcLtKmDU — Gerard Butler (@GerardButler) November 11, 2018
While the majority of the wildfires have been contained by authorities, a large portion of the region is still under red flag warning. This means that the region is still has a high possibility of contracting wildfire. Because of this, close to 150,000 people are still under mandatory evacuation orders from the state of California.
Based on recent weather reports, the winds shifts are in favorable conditions. Local authorities claim that if the recent wind forecast stands, evacuations will be possible.
