Camp Fire: Death Toll Rises To 56; 130 People Still Missing

"CHICO, Butte County — Eight more bodies were recovered from the ashes of the catastrophic Camp Fire on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 56 — nearly twice as deadly as the next worst wildfire in California history.

That number will almost certainly continue to climb. A week after the fire started on a dry and windy day near Paradise, nearly obliterating the town of 27,000 near Chico, at least 130 people are still missing.

Butte County authorities said Wednesday that they are concentrating resources on searching for human remains in Paradise and nearby communities and on identifying bodies with DNA testing and other forensic tools. They also are hoping to whittle down the missing persons list by tracking down people who are alive but haven’t been able to connect with friends and family."

Kurtis Alexander, Nanette Asimov, Erin Allday, and Sarah Ravani report for the San Francisco Chronicle November 14, 2018.

SEE ALSO:

Front Page Wildfire Roundup (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Northern California Fire Victims Are Suing The Power Company" (HuffPost)

"Ryan Zinke Says California Wildfires Are Getting Worse But Won’t Mention ‘Climate Change’" (HuffPost)