California wildfires: Death toll climbs to 51 as strong winds bring new blazes near Los Angeles

Blaze incinerates more than 8,800 homes and other buildings

California wildfires: Cars come within metres of blaze on Los Angeles freeway

The remains of six more victims of California’s most lethal and destructive wildfire in history have been found, bringing the death toll to 48 in the so-called Camp Fire in northern California and 51 total, statewide.

Forensic teams with cadaver dogs spent the day combing through ash and charred debris in what was let of the town of Paradise, around 175 miles (280km) north of San Francisco, near the state capital of Sacramento. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said 100 National Guard troops were being sent in at his request to assist in the search for additional human remains left by the Camp Fire.

The names of 80 people, many of them elderly, have been released in an effort to locate them amid the blaze damage.

The intensified effort to locate victims comes on the sixth day of a blaze that has incinerated more than 8,800 homes and other buildings, including most of Paradise, a town once home to 27,000 people that was largely erased hours after the fire began last Thursday. More than 50,000 local residents remained under evacuation orders.

In southern California, the Woolsey Fire has killed three people, destroyed more than 400 structures and displaced some 200,000 people in the mountains and foothills near the Malibu coast west of Los Angeles.

Darkened skies could be seen for days as the fire raged on, with winds picking up the smoke and sending it as far as Wisconsin nearly 2,000 miles away.

The Woolsey Fire has displaced several celebrities as well including Gerard Butler, Neil Young, and Lady Gaga, who was seen delivering pizzas, coffee, and gift cards to a nearby evacuation centre in Los Angeles.

That fire has consumed more than 97,000 acres through Los Angeles and Ventura counties and leaving 57,000 residents still in danger as firefighting authorities said only half of the blaze has been contained.

Donald Trump was briefed on the situation by Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) director Brock Long. Mr Trump said he had a phone call with California governor Jerry Brown “to let him know that we are with him, and the people of California, all the way!”

The president had tweeted over the weekend the fires were due to "poor" "forest management" in the state but did not elaborate on what that actually meant. He also threatened to stop federal government payments to California, presumably funds earmarked for forest management.

However, the current spate of wildfires is not in forests.

The Camp and Woolsey fires actually began in what the New York Times called the "wildland-urban interface: places where communities are close to undeveloped areas, making it easier for fire to move from forests or grasslands into neighbourhoods."

According to a 2015 report by the US Department of Agriculture, there were 44 million homes in those areas. That number is certainly higher in 2018 as urban areas expand in California.

Regarding his threat to withdraw federal funds for forest management in California - approximately 60 per cent of the forest land in the state is actually federally held and managed.

Of the 33 million acres, 40 per cent are owned and managed by individuals, Native American tribes, and timber companies. Only 3 per cent is owned by the state.

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After devastating fires last year, California had allocated more than $250 million to lower the risk of more wildfires but drought, possibly due to climate change, has exacerbated conditions. 

Meanwhile, several homeowners filed a lawsuit against utility company Pacific Gas & Electric for causing the fire.

The suit alleged the company did not properly inspect its high voltage power lines, a spark from which is thought to have ignited dry brush and grassland nearby.

The company has lost approximately 45 per cent of its stock value as the fires continue to rage.

To see how the day unfolded follow our live blog below

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[14 November 2018 16:18 · Chris Riotta]

This incredible time lapse shows the size and scope of wildfires across LA's skyline:

[14 November 2018 16:28 · Chris Riotta]

Here's the latest out of Los Angeles from the Associated Press: 

Crews battling Southern California’s enormous wildfire are struggling to widen and extend firebreaks before the return of winds that could once again drive the flames out of control.

Forecasts call for 20- to 30-mph (40-48 kph) winds with gusts to 60 mph (97 kph) by Wednesday evening in the coastal mountains northeast of Los Angeles.

That will end a three-day lull that allowed firefighters to contain about 60 percent of the Thomas fire, which is burning in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

[14 November 2018 16:36 · Chris Riotta]

Cities across the west coast of the United States are reportedly experiencing adverse impacts from California's deadly wildfires - the most destructive in state history. 

[14 November 2018 16:42 · Chris Riotta]

Drone footage has captured the following views of Paradise, California in the wake of the state's deadliest wildfires in record-keeping history:

[14 November 2018 16:46 · Chris Riotta]

Famed chef Guy Fieri cooked for the first responders and firefighters battling the blazes in California: 

[14 November 2018 16:58 · Chris Riotta]

Rain may be returning to California next week, bringing much needed water to the region suffering raging wildfires amid a drought that has plagued the state for months. 

Accuweather founder and president Dr Joel N Myers has released the following statement: ““This is a serious humanitarian as well as economic disaster for the state of California, possibly rivaling the negative impacts of the great earthquakes there. At this point, AccuWeather estimates that the total damage and economic impact of the California wildfires has already exceeded $80 billion, and will likely exceed $150 billion and possibly reach $200 billion by next week based on AccuWeather forecast conditions of strong winds and very little rain combined with very dry grounds and vegetation aggravated by lack of rain and strong parched winds. If these conditions and the resulting damage persist at least partially into December, this could well turn out to be one of the U.S.’ costliest weather and climate disasters, exceeding the damage caused by recent major hurricanes such as Katrina, Sandy and Harvey."

[14 November 2018 17:10 · Chris Riotta]

California’s wildfire victims have sued local utility PG&E over alleged negligence possibly linked to the fires, Reuters reported Wednesday: 

A group of three law firms representing multiple victims of California’s deadliest wildfire has filed a lawsuit against PG&E Corp alleging negligence and health and safety code violations by the utility company in the blaze that has killed at least 48 people.

The lawsuit seeking damages against California’s largest public utility was filed on Tuesday in San Francisco County Superior Court by the law firms, which collectively call themselves Northern California Fire Lawyers.

“It’s important to remember that the cause (of the “Camp Fire”) has yet to be determined,” PG&E said in a statement. “Right now, our primary focus is on the communities, supporting first responders and getting our crews positioned and ready to respond when we get access, so that we can safely restore gas and electricity to our customers.”

[14 November 2018 17:19 · Chris Riotta]

A fire engineer who rescued a bunny from the California wildfires may adopt the adorable pet after it was displaced by the raging blaze: 

[14 November 2018 17:28 · Chris Riotta]

As wildfires continue raging across the dry, drought-stricken California, it appears scientists are in virtual unanimous agreement that climate change has something to do with the harrowing conditions:

[14 November 2018 17:38 · Chris Riotta]

Here's video of firefighters in San Bernardino attempting to put out a blaze with the help of a bulldozer, since heavy winds kept officials on the ground rather than above in helicopters: