California wildfires: Camp Fire kills 42 to become deadliest in state history as Trump approves major disaster declaration

Fires across state have killed 44 in total with hundreds still missing

California fire officials give update on Woolsey wildfire

The total death toll from wildfires across California has risen to 44, after 13 more people were found dead in what is now the deadliest single fire in state history.

The blaze dubbed Camp Fire in northern California has incinerated more than 7,100 homes and businesses - particularly in the town of Paradise. Its death toll exceeds that of the Griffith Park Fire in 1933, the deadliest wildfire on record in California. At least 228 people were still missing, according to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea.

Speaking on CNN, Mr Honea said that while he holds out hope that many people listed as missing will turn up safe, “given what we’ve dealt with so far with casualties as a result of this fire, I have concerns that it [the death toll] will rise”.

Late on Monday, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the state, which will allow it to access more federal funds. Mr Trump said he "wanted to respond quickly", although calls for the declaration have been coming for a number of days.

Hundreds of thousands of evacuation orders have been issued, while countless residents have shared images online of missing loved ones, begging people to help them find displaced relatives and friends.

In southern California, the Woolsey Fire has scorched at least 91,000 acres and destroyed 370 structures. At least two people have died in that fire, and more than 57,000 buildings still at risk.

You can find our latest report on the California wildfires here. For more on how the events of Monday unfolded, please see our now-closed live blog, below.

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Key Points

• Satellite images from Nasa reveal devastating scale of fires
• Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke lose homes to blaze
• Donald Trump draws ire of experts for 'ill-informed' response to tragedy
• Spectrum internet goes down amid wildfires
• Trump approves 'expedited' request to declare a major disaster
• Hundreds still missing amid fears conditions could get worse

[13 November 2018 03:52 · Clark Mindock]

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[13 November 2018 04:12 · Chris Stevenson]

The two badly burned bodies in Malibu late on Friday afternoon appear to become victims of the Woolsey fire while trying to flee, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau's Guillermo Morales has said.

“We do not think they were residents of that location; those people have been accounted for,” Mr Morales said. “We think they were trying to evacuate, and we kind of know who they might be, but we’re waiting for the coroner to do the identification.”

[13 November 2018 04:21 · Chris Stevenson]

Here is our latest report on the wildfires, including a new death toll of 44 across the three major fires.

The Camp Fire, which has killed at least 42 people is now the single deadliest fire in California history.