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Thread: Wildfire Roundup for California

  1. #76
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    https://www.ktvu.com/news/under-hazy...re-the-air-day

    CONCORD, Calif. - Amid the heat, air quality remained an issue on Tuesday. It marked a record 22 consecutive days of Spare the Air alerts. Smoke from the wildfires is causing unhealthy air quality up and down the state.

    Many people in the Bay Area saw more of a hazy sky on Tuesday. Officials said the bad air quality was not as widespread as anticipated. Still, the worst spots were along the Bay Area’s perimeter including parts of the East Bay.

    In Downtown Concord, most of the outdoor patio dining sat empty. Malia Obillo, an Oakland resident working from home, said she had to get out after being cooped up indoors. She questioned her decision after seeing the smoke.

    “I don't think we were thinking about it until we were driving here and we saw how bad it was. The sky was so red and we thought whoa it’s like a movie right now,” said Obillo.

    From the Berkeley Hills, the smoke found all over the Bay Area was clearly visible.

    “People were seeing the sun was kind of red and hazy and it was overcast,” said Aaron Richardson from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

    People reported seeing a hazy sky as smoke from the wildfires traveled to the Bay Area.

    “There’s a lot of smoke that was kind of blowing aloft from the fires up north of us,” said Richardson. “There’s the big Mendocino Fire and up in the Sierras, it’s coming down the Sacramento Valley.”

    Air district officials said most of the polluted air stayed high in the atmosphere creating a different colored sky but the smell less noticeable. The marine layer also helped.

    “Visually you can see it in the sky but it hasn’t descended down to ground level as much as we expected,” said Richardson.

    The worst air quality readings were in Napa, Concord, Livermore, Pleasanton, Gilroy, and San Jose. Those areas had unhealthy levels for sensitive groups for most of the day and at times were hazardous.

    “It’s cloudy, it's gloomy, the air quality is definitely pretty bad,” said Luis Chanon, supervisor at Parkside Bar & Grill in Concord.

    Chanon described the dark sky as eerie, advising his employees to stay hydrated.

    He said business outdoors has been slow the past two weeks and the restaurant that caters to families has had to close early. Those who do come are keeping their masks on.

    “We do find our patrons wearing it at any little break so they don’t have to inhale the bad air,” said Chanon.

    Air quality officials extended the Spare the Air alert through Wednesday breaking the previous record by more than a week. It was set during the Camp Fire in 2018. They’re predicting bad air again in the East Bay and North Bay on Wednesday.
    Holy Shit its already 8am here in the Bay Area and the skies look dark due to multiple fires making the air quality worse in the state.

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    https://fox40.com/news/local-news/wi...y-evacuations/

    YUBA COUNTY, Calif. (KTXL) — Evacuations have been ordered in Yuba County as crews battle the Willow Fire at Marysville Road and Willow Glen Road in Loma Rica.

    The Willow Fire began overnight Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. Since then, it has burned approximately 300 acres.

    Resources for food and animals have been established at the Yuba Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City., according to Cal Fire.

    Click or tap county names for more updates.

    Mandatory Evacuations
    Yuba County
    Loma Rica, just north where Marysville Road becomes Willow Glen Road
    All areas south from Collins Lake to the Yuba County border to the west, with Fruitland Road representing the lower line of the evacuation.
    Road Closures
    Marysville Road and Willow Glen Road
    Fruitland and Honcut
    Fruitland and Loma Rica
    Peoria and Dolan Harding

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    https://fox40.com/news/local-news/no...y-evacuations/

    Mandatory Evacuations
    Plumas County
    The town of La Porte
    Little Grass Reservoir, including residents, campgrounds and recreational facilities off Little Grass Valley Road west of Quincy La Porte Road
    Quincy La Porte Road from Onion Valley to the county line
    Authorities advise residents to evacuate south on Quincy La Porte Road towards Yuba County.
    Butte County
    Community of Feather Falls
    Community of Clipper Mills
    Community of Berry Creek
    Community of Brush Creek
    Community of Forbestown
    Yuba County
    Strawberry Valley
    Clipper Mills
    Forbestown
    Woodleaf
    La Porte Road and New York Flat Road, north of Brownsville to the border of Butte and Plumas counties
    Evacuation Warnings
    Butte County
    Community of Kelly Ridge
    Community of Copley Acres
    Community of Mount Ida
    Community of Bangor
    Road Closures
    Eastbound State Route 162 at Miners Ranch Road
    A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Oroville Church of the Nazarene at 2238 Monte Vista Ave. in Oroville. Evacuees are asked to stay in their vehicles until a Butte County or American Red Cross representative is available to help.

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    https://www.ksbw.com/article/unprece...omes/33972067#

    MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. —
    Firefighters who were hospitalized when the Dolan Fire overtook their position are now reported as being stable.

    A crew of 14 firefighters were protecting the Nacimiento Fire Station on Nacimiento-Fergusson Road when flames overwhelmed their assigned area. The crew had to use their emergency shelters and three of them required hospitalization for injuries including smoke inhalation and burns.


    In an update on Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service reported the hospitalized firefighters were all stable and in contact with family and friends.

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    https://www.abc10.com/article/news/l...2-e4079b9f0e16

    YUBA COUNTY, Calif. — Click HERE for the latest on the Willow Fire.

    Yuba County officials are calling for evacuations in response to the raging Willow Fire, north of Smartville.

    The fire has yet to see containment after burning 1,311 acres so far on Wednesday and destroying 14 homes. The fire continues to threaten 700 homes and has also destroyed 16 outbuildings. It is located at Neptune Lane and Willow Glen Road in Yuba County.

    In response to the wildfire, officials have called for both mandatory and voluntary evacuations. According to Cal Fire, 3,000 people have been evacuated due to mandatory evacuations orders for Loma Rica. Those evacuations run from the original start for the Cascade Fire and all areas south from Collins Lake to the Yuba County border to the west with Fruitland Road representing the lower line for evacuations.

    Voluntary evacuations were advised for Oregon House/ Dobbins region north of Marysville Road, between Frenchtown Road to the west, Indiana Ranch Road to the east, and Forsythe Road to the north.

    To stay up to date with evacuations for the Willow Fire and other wildfire evacuations in Yuba County, follow the Yuba County Office of Emergency Services page on Facebook HERE.


    Road Closures
    Oregon Hill Rd at Indiana Ranch Rd
    Indiana Ranch Rd at Eagle Trl
    Forbestown Rd at New York House Rd
    Frenchtown Rd at New York House Rd
    La Porte Rd at Honcut Ridge
    Frenchtown Rd at Marysville Rd
    Forbestown Rd at New York Flat Rd
    Fruitland Rd at Honcut Rd
    Fruitland Rd at Loma Rica Rd
    Peoria Rd at Dolan Harding Rd
    Township Rd at Peoria Rd
    Willow Glen Rd at Marysville Rd
    WILDFIRE PREPS

    According to Cal Fire, in 2019, California wildfires burned just under 260,000 acres from 7,860 incidents. Over 700 structures were damaged or destroyed and three people were killed. This follower two years of some of the “deadliest and most destructive wildfires” in California history.

    If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.


    The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans to best prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.

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    Guys thats right its morning to midday but it looks like 6pm at night.




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    https://www.sfgate.com/california-wi...s-15551384.php

    . Howling winds whipped up a fire burning in the Plumas National Forest east of Chico, Calif., spreading flames through the crowns of trees across thousands of acres.

    The fire roared into populated areas around Madrone Lake overnight, forcing evacuations and rescues. It's unknown at this time how many residents needed rescuing. Butte County paramedics told KRCR that at least five people were "severely burned" after becoming trapped near the Berry Creek area and more are expected to be found as first responders search the region.

    The North Complex started as several separate blazes sparked by lightning on Aug. 17, including the Bear and Claremont fires, that have since merged into a massive inferno. The fire was 252,163 acres as of Wednesday night and at 24% containment.

    Some 20,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings in Plumas, Yuba and Butte counties.

    The Butte County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Wednesday evening that three people have died in connection with the Bear Fire, which is part of the North Complex Fire in the Plumas National Forest. Two bodies were found in one location, with the third body in another location. California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Draper told the Bay Area News Group that one person was found in a car and apparently had been trying to escape the flames.

    At least 12 people are also missing, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said.

    KRCR also reports that homes have been destroyed near the communities of Berry Creek and Feather Falls.

    Dramatic photos show flames licking the famous Bidwell Bar Bridge overnight, forcing the closure of roads in the region. Highway 162 between Canyon Drive and Foreman Creek Road is closed, and there are a number of mandatory evacuation zones that can be found here. (Note: Evacuation announcements can also be found via the Butte County Sheriff's Department.)

    The entire city of Oroville, as well as Bangor, Concow, Paradise and the Palermo-Honcut areas, are under an evacuation warning, indicating residents must be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

    Pushing from Plumas County into Butte County, the North Complex is burning parallel to the Middle Fork of the Feather River at a rate of about 1,000 acres per half hour. It's tearing through steep terrain and rugged coniferous pine forest.

    "[Tuesday] morning around 10 a.m., the fire jumped the middle fork of the Feather River Canyon, around the area of Horseshoe Bar, and that initial spot in 30 minutes grew to 1,000 acres," said Amber Anderson, a spokesperson for the fire's incident management team. "With the northwest winds, the fire has grown 15,000 to 20,000 acres."

    To put last night's incredible southwestward run on #BearFire into perspective: a conservative estimate based on current satellite heat detections suggests fire expanded by ~250,000 acres in ~24 hours. Fire now directly threatening Oroville, Hwy 70 corridor. #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/4J6epC1FyR
    — Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) September 9, 2020

    The blaze generated massive amounts of smoke Tuesday, and images of the plume were shared on social media (see photo above).

    "The extreme rate of spread on #ClaremontFire/#BearFire right now is reminiscent of the Camp Fire back in 2018, and is burning just south of that location in similar vegetation and weather conditions. This is one to take *extremely* seriously if you are in the path," UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain shared on Twitter.

    Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for multiple communities, including Feather Falls, Clipper Mills, Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Forbestown and more. Find a complete listing of evacuations here. You can also visit the Plumas National Forest Facebook page for updates.
    3 deaths reported in the Bear Fire.

  11. #86
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    President Trump spoke with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) amid ongoing wildfires that have killed at least seven people and burned across California, Oregon and Washington state.

    White House spokesman Judd Deere confirmed the conversation on Twitter.

    Approximately 14,000 firefighters are currently battling 29 major wildfires in California as of Thursday, according to Cal Fire. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 12 fatalities and over 3,900 structures destroyed in the state.

    Fire officials said six of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred in this year alone.

    California officials said Wednesday night that at least three people have died amid the North Complex Fire burning near Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties, and at least a dozen other individuals are missing.

    The fire has burned across over 250,000 acres. Cal Fire spokesperson Daniel Berlant attributed the flames to weather conditions.

    Meanwhile the Creek Fire in central California has expanded over more than 166,000 acres.

    Washington officials said Wednesday that a child in the state was killed in the Cold Springs Fire. Three people were also killed in fires in Oregon: two in Marion County and one in Jackson County.

    Last month, President Trump took aim at California officials amid wildfires in the Bay Area, blaming the flames on “years” of poor forest management.

    "And I see again, the forest fires are starting," Trump said at the time. "They're starting again in California. And I said, 'You've got to clean your floors. You've got to clean your floors.'
    https://thehill.com/homenews/news/51...ging-wildfires

  12. #87
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    https://ktla.com/news/local-news/bob...cres-in-1-day/






    Firefighters were able to prevent the Bobcat Fire from spreading beyond its footprint while raising its containment from 0% to 6% Thursday, officials said.

    Winds continued to push the 23,890-acre wildfire northeast, further into the Angeles National Forest away from foothill communities. But that didn’t stop the smoke from shrouding much of Los Angeles County in a dingy haze.

    Crews were working to protect homes in communities near the fire’s southern perimeter, including Azusa, Monrovia and Duarte, using Blackhawk helicopters to monitor the area, officials said on the federal InciWeb website.

    The conditions were an improvement from Wednesday, when the blaze doubled in size with 0% containment. On Thursday, containment was achieved largely on the fire’s eastern flank, where it ran into the burn scar from last month’s Ranch2 Fire.

    Firefighters expect to face greater challenges battling the northern portion of the fire, which is moving into ridges near Angeles Crest Highway, officials said.

    Fire retardant drops are being conducted in that area, which includes steep, dry terrain that hasn’t burned in the last 60 years.

    Powerful Santa Ana winds dragged the flames east Wednesday, making for heavy fire activity overnight near Crystal Lake. The fire jumped across Highway 39, where fire officials later reported making good progress.

    But the blaze was extremely active Wednesday, spotting across long ranges, torching trees and visibly running across slopes — at one point threatening homes in the foothill communities as it tore through extremely dry brush, chaparral and tall grass in the steep, rugged terrain.

    The smoke was so thick Wednesday, firefighting efforts from the air had to stop. But a sky crane helicopter and two additional hotshot crews joined the fight later in the day.


    Crews of more than 530 firefighters have responded to battle the flames, and officials expect to get additional fire and overhead resources after declaring the blaze a “Type 1 incident.”

    “Containment dates are dependent on resource availability,” officials said. “Currently there are limited resources for fires statewide.”

    Evacuation warnings are in effect for Monrovia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Altadena, Duarte and Pasadena.

    Warnings were lifted for people in Arcadia, but city officials told residents to stay prepared.

    “Residents should have evacuation plans in place, their emergency evacuation supplies organized, and their essential personal belongings easily accessible should fire conditions change. Vehicles should be fully fueled, facing out in the driveways, and ready to leave,” Arcadia city officials said.

    A Red Cross evacuation center at Santa Anita Park has been closed, but it would reopen if needed, officials said. The organization says it has assisted 10 people affected by the blaze.

    The fire ignited Sunday around noon near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area, spreading rapidly amid record-breaking, triple-digit heat.

    It’s still unclear what sparked the Bobcat Fire, and an investigation is ongoing.

    State Route 39 remains closed in both directions at Old San Gabriel Canyon Road. State Route 2 is closed in both directions from east of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road to Big Pines.

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    https://www.kcra.com/article/fork-fi...r-11/33992977#

    EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. —
    Crews are battling a wildfire in El Dorado County that has forced evacuations in two counties, officials said.

    The Fork Fire has burned 2,200 acres with 7% containment, the El Dorado National Forest Service said Friday.
    The wildfire ignited around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday along Wentworth Springs Road near Gerle Creek.

    EVACUATIONS IN PLACE
    Evacuations are in place in parts of El Dorado and Placer counties.

    The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders for the communities in Stumpy Meadows, Quintet and Volcanoville. Residents in that area are asked to travel to Georgetown. About 600 people in the county were evacuated, the USFS said.

    Evacuations are in place for Loon Lake, Gerle Creek and Rubicon trail areas, the forest service said. The Placer County Sheriff's Office said deputies are evacuating the areas surrounding Hell Hole and French Meadows as a precaution.

    An evacuation center has been set up at the Cool Community Church at 863 Cave Valley Road in Cool, CA.

    Mosquito Ridge Road is closed at Gorman Ranch Road, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said.

    BATTLING THE BLAZE
    The wildfire is burning in the Rubicon River drainage and is re-burning the burn scar of the King Fire, which ignited September 2014 and burned 97,717 acres near Pollock Pines.

    "Rubicon River is extremely steep and remote. Currently rapid rates of fire spread, spotting, torching and running in dense timber. Fork Fire is established in the King fire burn scar where there is light flashy fuels and heavy dead/down. Active burning is expected to continue through the night," the Eldorado National Forest Service said in an incident update.

    Officials said the Rubicon River drainage is extremely steep and remote.

    "Temperatures and wind at the fire remained mild throughout the day and visibility has been limited by smoke from this and other fires," the Foresthill Fire Protection District said. "Smoke from fires around the state will continue to impact our community over the next few days. There are no fires on the Foresthill Divide."


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    https://www.ksbw.com/article/firefig...ition/33972148

    A Firefighter for the Big Sur Wildfire is reported in stable condition.

    MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. ?
    Firefighters who were hospitalized when the Dolan Fire overtook their position are now reported as being stable.

    A crew of 14 firefighters were protecting the Nacimiento Fire Station on Nacimiento-Fergusson Road when flames overwhelmed their assigned area. The crew had to use their emergency shelters and three of them required hospitalization for injuries including smoke inhalation and burns.

    In an update on Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service reported the hospitalized firefighters were all stable and in contact with family and friends.

    https://www.ksbw.com/article/santa-c...tions/33986758

    SANTA CRUZ, Calif. ?
    The CZU Lightning Fire in Santa Cruz County may lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases among those forced to flee their homes.

    Santa Cruz County Health officials are preparing for a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases from evacuees of the CZU Lightning Fire.


    Advertisement
    The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville is the only remaining evacuation center open as the fire nears full containment.

    Boulder Creek evacuee, Claudie Brillwitz, believes she is COVID-19 free because she followed all the health protocols.

    "I obey. Keep my distance and I'm not seeing anybody besides here. It's about the same. I'm always seeing my husband. I'm not even seeing my kids," said Brillwitz.

    At the height of the fire, the County opened a total of five shelters for evacuees.

    The county kept social distancing and other protocols in place

    Now, the Red Cross is managing the shelter.

    "The county had set in place in tents so that was creating a distance between each person inside the shelter and then there were plastic on the floors we were very careful," said Central Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross CEO, Michele Averill.

    However, not everyone used the shelters.

    Many stayed with family and friends, which could also drive up the number of cases.

    In anticipation of a surge, the county is increasing the number of case investigators and contact tracers adding 8-12 more to the current 49.

    The state is also loaning Abbott point-of-care testing machines that provide a 15 minute turnaround time for results.

    "So we are making that available for fire evacuees and responders to the fire if they are symptomatic to reach out to their primary medical providers to seek out testing," said Jennifer Herrera, Santa Cruz County Chief of Public Health.

    The county has information available at the Recovery Center at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz.

    Santa Cruz County will also look at potential spikes from the Labor Day gatherings.

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    https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/lo...0-ebeeafb2eb20

    SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. ? As the Valley Fire forced people out of their homes, it also led to the evacuation of hundreds of animals, including at the Children's Nature Retreat, a nonprofit sanctuary in Alpine.

    The owner told News 8 on Thursday, while the majority of her animals are safe, the fire is yet another challenge to overcome in what's already been a difficult year.

    Agnes Barrelet isn't used to it being so quiet at the property. But, on Sunday, as the Valley Fire raged nearby, she knew it was time to pack up what animals she could and go.

    ?We had all of our horses, mini horses, all the goats, all the sheep, all the bunnies, the guinea pigs," she said.

    In total, 120 animals of the 140 animals were evacuated.

    Ranchers, volunteers, as well as the San Diego Humane Society all brought trailers and worked together to get them out safely.

    ?It was very hard, but at the same time, it was beautiful to see everybody coming together to help us and help our animals," Barrelet.

    The majority of her animals, as well as the ones who stayed, were OK as of Thursday as was the 20-acre retreat.

    Sadly though, four didn't make it, including two mini horses, a rooster, and a camel named Sheeba. Barrelet believes stress contributed to their deaths.

    ?There is no word to describe what we had, what we feel, you know," she said. "We try not to think about it.?
    Though her animals will return home in the coming days, Agnes said things won't be back to normal.

    Like many businesses, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the retreat was closed to visitors for months. The Valley Fire has shut her down again.

    Barrelet is losing crucial revenue that helps pay to care and feed for the animals, which costs about $35,000 every month.

    ?2020 has been a horrible year - I know for everyone," she said. "We need help.?

    Barrelet hopes to reopen next week and in the meantime, she's relying on donations.

    The Children?s Nature Retreat is where animals live out their lives. Most have been rescued from owners who couldn't care for them, or in some cases, slaughterhouses.



    Barrelet can't envision not doing what she does and said she just has to figure out a way to keep it going.

    ?The love these animals," she said. "[What they] give you is priceless. It's my passion.?


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    https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/lo...d-543751b5220d

    JAMUL, Calif. — Feeling stranded while at home, Jamul resident Tom Minga said he's being blocked at road checkpoints from leaving and returning.

    "I was prepared, but I wasn't prepared to be stuck here for six days. My ID has this address on it. I should be able to come in and out,” said Minga, who runs Snake Solutions Animal Removal.

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    Minga has had friends bring him food and gas for his generator, but his supplies and patience are running low.

    "Tired of relying on people. I have a big dog. I can't go to a hotel and I've just been stuck here, as you can see it hasn't burned around here,” he said.

    The Valley Fire is miles away from Minga’s trailer near Japatul Road and Lyons Valley Road, and he said there are inconsistencies for who can leave.

    "My neighbors across the street can come and go, but I can't because I am on the south side, so people actually had to hand me stuff from across the line, and stay on their side,” Minga said.

    Meanwhile, it's all smiles for the Muller couple in Lawson Valley whose home is safe.

    "We have to thank God for the weather [that] was really with us this time - no strong winds,” said Ron Muller, who’s been married to Linda Muller for 16 years.

    Ron Muller stayed behind and wouldn't leave their green home.

    "I stayed with the house because that's the only thing we got,” he said.

    He said with fire insurance being impossible to get in his area, Ron had defensible space and a generator although low to no signal for his cell phone.

    “I had to walk up to the end of the street to get cell phone service here," Ron said.

    Ron’s wife Linda stayed at her daughter’s house after the fire broke out and was overjoyed Thursday to finally be back home in Jamul safe and sound.

    "I was glad to be home. I miss my husband. I want to be home. There's nothing like being at home in your own bed,” Linda Muller said.

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    https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/ne...ter-in-a-pond/

    GRIDLEY, Calif. (AP) — Flames were bearing down on Sandy Butler’s home in the wooded hills of Northern California when she called her son to say that she and her husband were going to climb a fence and try to find shelter in a nearby pond.

    It’s the last the family heard from the couple, who were missing Thursday after a fire roared with menacing speed across the Sierra Nevada foothills and destroyed much of the town of Berry Creek.

    “We’re still hoping and praying for good news,” said Jessica Fallon, who has two children with the Butler’s grandson and considers them her own grandparents. “Everything is replaceable, but not my grandparents’ lives. I’d rather lose everything than those two. They kind of held the family together.”

    The Butlers were among a dozen people believed missing in a fire that claimed at least three lives as it burned a 25-mile (40 kilometers) path in a day. More than 2,000 structures were burned in the lightning-sparked collection of fires now known as the North Complex burning about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

    The wind-driven fire that jumped a river and ripped through dense forest and arid vegetation is the latest extreme fire to burn into the record books this year in California.

    More than 4,800 square miles (12,500 square kilometers) have burned so far this year — more land than Rhode Island, Delaware and Washington, D.C. combined — and fall is typically the worst season for fires. Twelve people have been killed and nearly 4,000 structures have burned across the state.

    The fires, fed by drought-sapped vegetation amid warming temperatures attributed to climate change, have spread at an alarming rate and given people less time to flee.

    Hundreds of campers, hikers, and people spending Labor Day weekend at mountainside reservoirs and retreats had to be evacuated by military helicopter when they got stranded by a fast-moving fire that broke out in the Sierra National Forest in the center of the state during record-setting high temperatures.

    Six of the state’s 20 largest fires on record are burning, including the August Complex, centered in wilderness about 130 miles (210 kilometers) north of San Francisco that is now the biggest fire in state history. It’s scorched more than 736 square miles (1,906 square kilometers). That exceeds a 2018 complex in the same region.

    President Donald Trump spoke with Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday “to express his condolences for the loss of life and reiterate the administration’s full support to help those on the front lines of the fires,” according to White House spokesman Judd Deere.

    The North Complex fire is the 10th largest in the record books and growing as firefighters try to prevent it from advancing toward the town of Paradise, where the most destructive fire in state history two years ago killed 85 people and destroyed 19,000 buildings.

    Authorities lifted an evacuation warning for Paradise on Thursday, the day after residents awoke to similar skies as the 2018 morning when a wind-whipped inferno reduced the town to rubble. Under red skies and falling ash Wednesday, many chose to flee again, jamming the main road out of town in another replay of the catastrophe two years ago.

    About 20,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings in three counties from the fire.

    Some 14,000 firefighters continued to try to corral 29 major wildfires from the Oregon border to just north of Mexico, though California was almost entirely free of critical fire weather warnings after days of hot, dry conditions and the threat of strong winds.

    Smoke blew into vineyards in wine country north of San Francisco, and rose above scenic Big Sur on the Central Coast and in the foothills and mountains of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties in the southern part of the state.

    Numerous fires continued to burn in Washington and Oregon, as well, and dense smoke blanketed much of the West Coast on Thursday morning, darkening skies with hazardous air pollution.

    A fire raging along the Oregon border destroyed 150 homes near the community of Happy Camp and one person was confirmed dead, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said. About 400 more homes were threatened.

    The fire that roared into the hamlet of Berry Creek, with a population of 525, incinerated countless homes and largely destroyed Camp Okizu, a summer getaway for children with cancer.

    A crew fighting the fire was overrun by flames when winds shifted and its members escaped with only minor injuries after deploying emergency shelters. It was the second time in two days that firefighters in California had to take the rare last-ditch effort to save their lives.

    Fallon, who had driven from the San Francisco Bay Area after hearing the Butlers were missing Wednesday morning, waited with her toddler son and 2-year-old daughter with dozens of evacuees gathered at a fairgrounds in the small city of Gridley, trembling in morning cold.

    Among them was Douglas Johnsrude, who packed up his eight dogs and fled his home in the community of Feather Falls on Tuesday.

    Johnsrude said he assumed his house trailer burned, which would be the second time he’s lost his home in a fire. He inherited his mother’s house after her death, but it was destroyed in a 2017 fire.

    “The reason I haven’t rebuilt up there is because I knew it was going to happen again. And guess what? It happened again,” he said. “Seeing the smoke and the flames and everything else, it’s unreal. It’s like an apocalypse or something.”

    Butte County spokeswoman Amy Travis described the evacuation center as a staging area while officials line up hotel rooms for families displaced by the fire amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “COVID has changed the way we do sheltering,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of hotel rooms here in Butte County, and a lot of them are definitely busy with people that have already made their own hotel arrangements for evacuations.”

    Fallon said she’d been peppering hospitals with phone calls in search of her grandparents.

    Her daughter, Ava, doesn’t understand what’s going on. She thinks they’re camping. The girl typically speaks with her great-grandmother two to three times a day.

    Here is more fallout from the North Complex fires as more people come forward with missing person's cases. In this case they have reported the Butlers are reported missing.

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    https://www.kron4.com/news/californi...s-to-turn-pro/

    Good Move Congrats to the Governor.

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KRON) ? Governor Gavin Newsom signed Friday a law allowing inmate firefighters in California to have their records cleared, clearing the way for them to become professional firefighters once they are released from prison.


    Many inmates are helping the thousands of firefighters battling wildfires burning across the state.

    The bill, AB 2147 accelerates the process for expunging inmate records so it is easier for them to earn an emergency medical technician certification ? which is the first step towards becoming a pro firefighter.

    This story will be updated

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    Here is a roundup of deaths reported due to Wildfires. Warning this is still an ongoing situation over rescue operations of reported missing all over the West Coast.

    https://abc7.com/wildfire-deaths-bab...lazes/6418615/

    At least 18 people have died in the wildfires across Oregon, Washington state and California, where hot, dry and windy weather combined to create near-perfect conditions for raging flames.

    Here's a look at what we know about victims in each state:

    California

    Nine people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been confirmed dead since lightning-caused fires that started weeks ago fused into a monster that largely destroyed Berry Creek, a tiny hamlet in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of San Francisco.

    The North Complex remained the deadliest this year, with nine confirmed deaths. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea had said 10 bodies were found but on Friday lowered the figure.

    The sheriff said the victims included Josiah Williams, 16, of Berry Creek, who apparently died while trying to flee the flames in a vehicle.

    "He was alone, terrified and ran for his life," his mother, Jessica Williams, told CBS13 Sacramento. ""My son was a good, smart, caring young boy that died alone and it kills me thinking about what he was going through."

    The body of Millicent Catarancuic, 77, of Berry Creek was found by a car on Wednesday, and two other people who may have been associated with her were found in the same area, the sheriff said. He did not release their names.

    "We have information that those subjects were aware of the fire but chose not to immediately evacuate," he said.

    A search continued for 19 people who remained unaccounted for.

    Among those unaccounted for were Sandy Butler and her husband, who had called their son to say they were going to try to escape the flames by finding shelter in a pond.

    "We're still hoping and praying for good news," said Jessica Fallon, who has two children with the Butler's grandson and considers them her own grandparents. "Everything is replaceable, but not my grandparents' lives. I'd rather lose everything than those two. They kind of held the family together."

    Fallon said she'd been peppering hospitals with phone calls in search of her grandparents. There was no word of them late Thursday night.

    Oregon officials haven't released an exact death count but at least eight fatalities have been reported.

    Two of the victims, 13-year-old Wyatt Mosso and his grandmother Peggy Mosso, were found in their car. It's believed they may have been trying to escape the flames.

    Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast said Friday evening that searchers had found two victims of the Beachie Creek fire near Salem.

    More than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, either having been told to leave or to prepare to do so.

    Washington

    The parents of a 1-year-old boy who died in a northern Washington state wildfire remained in critical condition Thursday in a Seattle hospital.

    Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said the boy died after his family was apparently overrun by flames while trying to flee the giant Cold Springs Fire this week.

    It was the state's first death of this wildfire season.

    Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that he and his wife were heartbroken to hear about the child's death.

    Hawly said the family from the Seattle suburb of Renton was discovered by searchers Wednesday morning along the banks of the Columbia River. He said all were badly burned and the child was dead.

    Hawley said the parents Jacob Hyland, 31, and Jamie Hyland, 26, were flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of third-degree burns.

    The hospital listed them in critical condition and in intensive care on Thursday. According to a GoFundMe page set up for the family, Jamie Hyland is pregnant.

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