Story at a glance
- Three residents were found dead amid wildfires in Butte County, Calif.
- The wildfires are reminiscent of the highly destructive Camp Fire in 2018.
With gusty winds exacerbating the dangerous conditions fueling the Northern California wildfires, three people have perished as the region continues to burn.
The Associated Press reports that California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Draper spoke to the Bay Area News Group and confirmed that one victim was found in a car and had been attempting to escape the fire.
Two of the other residents were reportedly found together, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The sheriff’s office received about 85 calls for welfare checks and confirmed 73 individuals are safe. Law enforcement is looking for the remaining 12.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES KILL 5 PEOPLE, FORCE MORE THAN 60,000 TO EVACUATE
LIGHTNING WILDFIRES SCORCH CALIFORNIA, EXPLODE IN SIZE
CALIFORNIA DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AMID WILDFIRES
A bevy of other residents from the nearby region were hurrying to evacuate as a reported 2,000 structures were destroyed in Butte County. Evacuations have also been ordered in Oroville, north of Sacramento and northeast of San Francisco.
Firefighter crews worked overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to Shane Lauderdale, the Cal Fire Operations Sections chief for Team 4. Lauderdale said that crews worked in an “extremely difficult firefight” and rescued more than 100 people.
The North Complex fire is also threatening the town of Paradise, which was slammed with similar fires two years ago. Thanks to the high wind speeds and high fuel loads of dry brush, the fires are growing by approximately 230,000 acres over a 24-hour-period in the Plumas National Forest, officials in the region told Chronicle reporters Wednesday.
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Twenty-eight wildfires are currently raging within California, which, in addition to fires in nearby states Oregon and Washington, painted the Bay Area skies with a foreboding orange glow due to smoke and ash lingering over the atmosphere and refracting the sunlight. Skies appeared burnt orange, red and grey, lasting throughout Wednesday.
After witnessing the destruction in neighboring Oroville, residents in Paradise have already begun evacuating.
For some, the fires bring back painful memories of the Camp Fire in 2018, which became the most destructive fire in California history.
Across the state, California is struggling to contain more than two dozen wildfires in a highly active wildfire season, straining available resources and personnel. The Chronicle notes that a cumulative 2 million acres have been scorched by the flames since the beginning of 2020.
Experts think that this season will be a driving force in helping communities improve their preparedness.
“This year might be the impetus where you get people better prepared to live in fire-prone areas for the inevitability of fire,” UC Berkeley Professor Scott Stephens said. “You just have to get more prepared.”
BAY AREA AIR QUALITY TANKS AMID CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
‘HARD TO PREDICT’ WILDFIRES SCORCH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, PARTS OF NORTH
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