Over 1K Homes Destroyed in 2 California Wildfires

Two people killed in the Butte wildfire in northern California chose to remain in their homes after they were told to leave because of the imminent danger, he said.

According to Daniel Berlant of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, a total of 511 homes were initially reported destroyed by the wildfires that raged through Amador and Calaveras counties through the week.

The evacuation orders for other areas in Lake County remain.

Round said the fire moved minimally overnight, with containment looking promising as 4,383 firefighters continued their efforts to control the blaze.

The Red Cross has opened a shelter at Carmel Middle School, 4380 Carmel Valley Road.

Two deadly fires roaring through Northern California have destroyed more than 1,400 homes and threaten thousands more, state fire officials said Sunday.

The Lake County inferno has vandalized through 62 square miles in just 12 hours.

Berlant said teams are getting access to affected areas as firefighters make progress but that the count is far from over.

California fires (not shown) have been destroying homes in high volumes over the summer, with intense weather contributing to its scorching power. About 19,000 people were ordered to evacuate.

The Valley Fire has consumed 585 homes as while raging through Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties over the course of a week.

Cal Fire have recounted 252 homes shattered as of Friday night by the week-old fire, searing roughly 111 square miles.

A weekend of heat descended on the wildfires after several favourable days, raising fears that major gains could be undone.

“Some of the homes are tucked back in rural areas so it’s taken time to reach them”, Berlant said.

That makes it essential that the smoldering remains of the two giant blazes be dealt with as quickly and thoroughly as possible, Mclean said.

By Saturday morning the blaze in Lake County had charred 116 square miles and was 48 percent contained.

The fires have cost California at least US$244 million (S$341.6 million) since July 1, compared with US$240 million for all of 2013.

Authorities has defended their warnings and rescue attempts, explaining that they did their best to reach people in the remote area of homes.

“You may get that notice, or you may not, depending on how fast that fire is moving”, Round said.

The American West has seen one of its worst fire seasons this year, burning through a particularly large area of the landscape, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.