44 dead in California fires as the Camp Fire becomes the deadliest in state history!
Strong winds were blowing again Monday in California, bringing with them bad news for millions of people hoping to avoid some of the most destructive wildfires the state has ever seen. The whipping winds -- and tinder-dry conditions -- will threaten areas statewide for the rest of the week, fire officials warned.
They said it could take weeks to fully contain the blazes raging across Northern and Southern California. So far, at least 44 people have been killed -- 42 in the "Camp Fire" alone, making it the deadliest wildfire in California history.
The Camp Fire has burned more than 6,400 structures, meaning the Northern California wildfire is also the most destructive in state history. Thousands more structures were in danger.
The Camp Fire is one of three major wildfires burning in the state. The "Woolsey Fire" and "Hill Fire" are burning northwest of Los Angeles.
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Both northern and southern California are suffering from two huge wildfires that show no signs of dying down.
With hot dry winds expected last until at least Tuesday, in the south there are fears for the wealthy beach town of Malibu, where a mandatory evacuation order has been issued for a quarter of a million people.
In the meantime, the huge Camp Fire in the north has already destroyed towns like Paradise and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. Firefighters say it is only 10% contained.
At least 25 people have died, and more than 100 are missing. Looting has been reported in the south, where the Woolsey fire has doubled in size in the last 24 hours.
Fire officials are noting that the fires are spreading more quickly than in the past. Only two past fires, in the 1930s and 90s, have taken more lives.
Nearly 7000 homes and businesses have also been destroyed. Experts say California has to adjust to a "new normal"; less rainfall, more frequent and more severe fires, and stronger storms to whip them out of control.
