California Wildfires Death Toll Rises to 31; More Than 200 Missing

The death toll from the wildfires ravaging Northern and Southern California rose to 31 on Sunday with the discovery of six more bodies—but the state was bracing for even worse news. In Northern California, more than 225 people remained unaccounted for in Butte County, where the town of Paradise was essentially burned to the ground by the blaze dubbed the Camp Fire. More than 6,700 structures have been destroyed and its death toll alone has climbed to 29, making it the most destructive in 85 years of state record-keeping and tying the mark for the state’s most lethal. The Butte County sheriff said he was hoping many of the missing were safe and had just not connected with loved ones. Containment figures late Sunday were listed at 25 percent for the 111,000-acre blaze. Meanwhile, in Southern California, two people were found dead and at least three firefighters were reported injured in the Woolsey Fire, which was expected to grow Monday as strong Santa Ana winds threatened to fuel the flames across 85,000 acres between Ventura and Los Angeles counties. As of Monday morning, the vegetation fire was listed at 15 percent contained, as forecasters put up “red flag” warnings for all of Southern California, with gusts as high as 50 mph expected and no rain in sight.