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[WATCH] California wildfires: claim over 17 lives, with hundreds more missing
New evacuations were ordered Tuesday evening, following the death of over 17 people since Saturday
A hillside erupts in flame in Placerita Canyon in Santa Clarita, California on Monday (Photo: CNN)
#PrayForCali
— Conservative Jewel (@PatriotJewelUSA) October 10, 2017
Thoughts & prayers for everyone affected by the #CaliforniaWildfires. #firefighters #firstresponders #StaySafe 🙏🏼🚒 pic.twitter.com/OYoVGjXrLf
New evacuations were ordered on Tuesday evening, as more than a dozen wildfires raged across Northern California, with the largest killing at least 17 people as they ravaged through the state’s wine county.
The largest of the fires were in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties. Officials in the city of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County called for the evacuations of five more areas on Tuesday evening, with already 20,000 people having been ordered to leave.
It’s too early to tell whether any of these fires were started by humans, said Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire.
“All these fires are under investigation”, he said, adding that his department was focusing on rescues and fire-fighting. He said the chance that the fires were caused by lightning was "fairly minimal."
According to California authorities, at least 17 people have died since Sunday night, when most of the fires began. A total of 11 deaths occurred in Sonoma County, said officials.
Two of the deaths were in Napa County, said spokeswoman Kristi Jourdan. They were 100-year-old Charles Rippey and his wife, Sara, 98. They died when the fire engulfed their home nnorth of Napa, said Jourdan.
About 2,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed by the fires in Northern California, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Tuesday.
Over 100 people were being treated in hospitals in the area for fire-related injuries and issues, including burns, smoke inhalation and shortness of breath.
Most of the fires ignited on Sunday night and were driven by winds of over 50mph and dry conditions, said Pimlott on Monday. The winds led to “extreme rates of spread and volatile burning conditions”, according to Cal Fire.
More than 180 people are still missing, but authorities believe that communications issues are making it difficult for many of those to check in with family.
