California fires have left ‘toxic wasteland’ with 80 dead, nearly 1,000 missing

Nov. 19 (UPI) — The California wildfires have now killed 80 people, but officials fear the toll could climb much higher — with nearly 1,000 still missing.

Rain is in the forecast for Northern California Tuesday and may last through the weekend, bringing a much needed reprieve for the 5,300 firefighters battling the Camp Fire in Butte County, north of San Francisco.

The fire has burned 151,000 acres, more than 11,700 homes, 472 commercial buildings and 3,300 other buildings, Cal Fire said early Monday. It’s about 66 percent contained. The number of missing was about 997 Monday.

Volunteers in white coveralls went house-to-house Sunday looking for human remains in the charred houses in Chico. When no remains were found, they marked the locations with a spray-painted orange “O” and moved on. Authorities are asking the public to for notification if someone on the list is found alive.

The rains could be a mixed blessing, as they would help extinguish the Camp Fire that’s burned since Nov. 8, but would also turn the ashen ground to a sloppy mess. The storms could bring stronger winds, too.

“As much as I wish that we could get through all of this before the rains come, I don’t know if that’s possible,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said, adding that officials may never know the exact death toll.

President Donald Trump visited fire-ravaged Paradise over the weekend to view the aftermath first hand.

“We’ve never seen anything like this in California; we’ve never seen anything like this yet. It’s total devastation,” he said.

Last week, Trump criticized forest management practices in California and threatened to cut federal aid to the state. He’s since backed off that stance.

“He’s got our back,” Gov. Jerry Brown told CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday. “There have been some back and forth between California leaders and the president. But in the face of tragedy, people tend to rise above some of the lesser propensities. So I think we’re on a good path.”

Paradise is among the hardest hit cities.

“Our entire five-member council is homeless,” Paradise town councilor Melissa Schuster told ABC News. “All of our houses have been destroyed. The entire community of Paradise is a toxic wasteland right now.”

There’s also been an outbreak of the norovirus at the shelter in Butte County, county health spokesman Lisa Almaguer said.

Trump also visited Malibu in Southern California, which was hit hard by the Woolsey Fire. It is 94 percent contained after burning 97,000 acres, Cal Fire said. It’s responsible for three of the 80 deaths.