(11 Sep 2020) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4287672
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday toured the area surrounding Lake Oroville in Northern California on Friday, which has hit hard by wildfires over the past several days.
Newsom did express hope that weather conditions will be favorable over the coming days.
The terrible toll of the state's wildfires became more evident as a mother confirmed her 16-year-old son was among those killed when an inferno tore through several hamlets in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada this week.
It was not immediately clear if the teen was counted among the 10 wildfire deaths or 16 missing persons reported so far by local authorities.
The North Complex fire near the small city of Oroville that exploded in wind-driven flames earlier in the week was advancing more slowly Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature, allowing firefighters to make progress, authorities said.
However, the smoke made for poor visibility and fire helicopters couldn't fly Thursday.
Throughout the state, red flag warnings of extreme fire danger because of hot, dry weather or gusty winds were lifted.
Only a day or two earlier, the North Complex fire tore through Sierra Nevada foothills so quickly that fire crews were nearly engulfed, locals fled for their lives to a pond, and the town of Berry Creek, population 525, and other communities were gutted.
On Thursday, Butte County officials said seven bodies were discovered, boosting the death toll to 10 in two days. At least four people with critical burns were hospitalized.
Burned-out and overturned cars, downed power lines and the ruins of buildings littered Berry Creek and nearby areas, the Sacramento Bee reported. One hatchback found on a dirt road had three dead dogs in it, while a pickup truck had the remnants of a guitar case and melted CDs in the bed.
More than 2,000 homes and other buildings burned in the fire, which began several weeks ago as a lightning-sparked collection of blazes 125 miles (201 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco. The final toll is expected to be much higher. Damage assessment teams planned to begin a methodical search of the burned areas on Friday.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
