California wildfires: Toll rises to 83, more than 500 people still missing
The cause of the fire, which began two weeks ago, is yet to be determined.
The toll in the Northern California wildfires in the United States that began two weeks ago rose to 83 on Wednesday, after Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said two more bodies had been found. He added that more than 560 people are still missing, AP reported.
The Camp Fire inferno, which began on November 8, has so far burned down more than 13,000 homes in Paradise town. Paradise lies about 140 miles (225 km) north of San Francisco. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
As many as 1,53,336 acres of land area has been affected by the blaze, CBS News reported. Over 18,000 structures have been destroyed. However, as much as 85% of the blaze is now under control. “This is certainly one of the worst fires in California history, and it’s the most destruction I’ve ever seen in my career,” CalFire Operations chief Josh Bischoff said.
In Southern California, three people have died so far in another blaze in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. As many as 1,643 structures were destroyed and 364 were damaged. This fire has been fully contained.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit California on Saturday to assess the damage and meet victims. On November 10, he had accused the forest department of poor management and threatened to withdraw federal funding, for which he was severely criticised.