250,000 people were forced to flea their homes across the state including in Los Angeles, Malibu and Thousand Oaks.

The Woolsey Fire spanning an incredible 35,000-acres has become one of the most destructive in the state's modern history.

Emergency services were powerless to stop the blaze as 50 mph winds fuelled the spread of the fire throughout the western state, which was described as the “worst-case scenario” after 75,000 homes were threatened.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea confirmed the remains of five of the victims in Northern California were discovered in or near burned out cars, three outside residences and one inside a home. </s> Authorities on Friday morning said the Woolsey fire has expanded to 10,000 acres, prompting evacuations and street congestion as people flee their homes.

Strong winds and poor visibility due to thick smoke created a dangerous situation for thousands of firefighters battling the blaze late Thursday night into Friday morning, officials said. More than 88,000 homes have been evacuated across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

“It’s been a long night,” said Corey Rose, assistant chief with L.A. City Fire Department. “But what makes this good is that we’ve done it together.” </s> Authorities searched on Monday for more than 200 people unaccounted for in one of the wildfires rampaging through parts of California, voicing concern about a possible rising death toll, with gusty, dry winds expected to fan the flames.

The so-called Camp Fire, California’s most destructive on record, had left at least 228 people missing as of early Monday, according to Kory Honea, sheriff of northern California’s Butte County, site of the fire. That fire and one in southern California have killed at least 31 people.

Both fires have been whipped up by hot dry winds expected to continue through Tuesday evening, according to officials. The winds were expected to heighten the risk of fresh blazes ignited by scattered embers. More than 224,000 people have been displaced by the fires, officials said.

The Camp Fire, 60km north of Sacramento, burned down more than 6,700 homes and businesses in the town of Paradise, more structures than any other wildfire recorded in California. The blaze has probably caused between $2 billion (€1.8 billion) and $4 billion in insured property damage, Morgan Stanley estimated in a report on Monday.

The fire had scorched more than 113,000 acres and was 25 per cent contained, officials said on Monday. Its death toll of 29 equals that of the Griffith Park Fire in 1933, the deadliest wildfire on record in California.

Speaking on CNN, Mr Honea said that while he held out hope that many people listed as missing would 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”.

In southern California, the Woolsey Fire had burned more than 91,000 acres and was 20 per cent contained, officials said. The fire had forced authorities to issue evacuation orders for a quarter of a million people in Ventura and Los Angeles counties and beachside communities including the Malibu beach colony. By Sunday night parts of the two counties were reopened.

At least two people have died in the Woolsey Fire, according to officials from the statewide agency Cal Fire, which has more than 3,200 personnel fighting the blaze. The number of people missing in the Woolsey Fire was not immediately available.

Many of those allowed to return were left without power or a mobile phone service, even if their homes were spared by the flames.

A smaller blaze in southern California, the Hill Fire, was 75 per cent contained and had burned 4,531 acres, officials said.

Wind gusts of up to 100km/h were expected in the mountains, valleys and canyons of southern California, raising the possibility of downed power lines and trees. This, in combination with low humidity, was expected to create the perfect conditions for fires to spread.

Local residents were despondent over the fire damage.

“It’s not the house, because you can rebuild. But it’s what is inside the house. It’s all gone,” Malibu resident Marcella Shirk (82) told KABC-TV. “And that’s what hurts, those kinds of things hurt, because you can’t replace that.” She and her husband lost their house of 41 years and its possessions. The house burned on his 92nd birthday.

Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, has asked US president Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to bolster the emergency response and help residents recover. Mr Trump, a Republican who has often criticised Democrat-led California on a variety of issues including immigration enforcement, blamed the state government in Twitter comments during the weekend, criticising poor forest management by the state for the infernos.

Brian Rice, president of the California Professional Firefighters, called Mr Trump’s statement “ill-timed” given the loss of life and ongoing search for missing people. “You can’t just make a blanket statement,” Mr Rice told MSNBC on Monday, adding that fires and forest management were complicated and that weather also was a major factor.

“Right now, what is needed is, really, support,” Mr Rice said.– Reuters </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Fleeing through flames: 'I'm so scared right now... so terrified'

At least 11 people have died in the most destructive wildfires ripping through north and south California.

More than 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major blazes in the state.

Firefighters were powerless in stopping a wildfire destroying the northern town of Paradise, where nine people died and 35 are missing.

Another fire swept into the affluent southern beach resort of Malibu on Friday and has now doubled in size.

Two more people were reported to have died in that fire, known as the Woolsey, which now covers an area of 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares).

Among the towns under evacuation orders is Thousand Oaks, where a gunman killed 12 people in a rampage on Wednesday.

"The magnitude of the destruction of the fire is unbelievable and heartbreaking," said Mark Ghilarducci, of the California governor's office.

President Trump has responded by blaming what he called gross mismanagement of the forests and warned of funding cuts.

Meteorologists have warned that dangerous conditions may continue well into next week, but firefighters are hoping to take advantage of a temporary lull in the wind fanning the flames.

Where is the Woolsey Fire?

The blaze started on Thursday near Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles. Another blaze, the Hill Fire, started at about the same time, also near Thousand Oaks.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption 'How much more can this town endure?' - deadly wildfire hits Thousand Oaks, where 12 people were killed in a mass shooting

On Friday, the flames jumped Highway 101 and headed into coastal areas.

All residents have been ordered to evacuate.

Los Angeles County sheriff's Chief John Benedict said on Saturday that two people had been found dead but provided no details on the deaths.

Malibu and nearby Calabasas are home to many celebrities.

The actor Martin Sheen was briefly reported missing but later found on the beach.

On Twitter, reality TV star Kim Kardashian said the home she shared with rapper Kanye West had been hit by the flames.

"Trying to get my mind off this fire... We are all safe and that's all that matters."

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Aerial footage shows fires racing up hillsides in Malibu towards abandoned homes

The singer Cher, who is performing in Las Vegas, tweeted that she was worried about her Malibu home.

Skip Twitter post by @cher I’m worried about my house🔥, but there is nothing I can do.

Friends houses have burned🙏🏻

I can’t bear the thought of there being no Malibu I’ve had a house in Malibu since 1972😭 — Cher (@cher) November 9, 2018 Report

The singer Lady Gaga said she had evacuated her home in Malibu, posting a video on Instagram that showed dark smoke billowing overhead.

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that he had evacuated, leaving behind his "Bleak House" museum collection of fantasy and horror memorabilia.

Skip Twitter post by @RealGDT Evacuated last night. Bleak House and the collection may be endangered but the gift of life remains. Thousand Oaks and Agoura are still in danger. Malibu is being evacuated. — Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) November 9, 2018 Report

The fire has also reportedly destroyed one of the sets for the TV series Westworld and is threatening Malibu's Pepperdine University, a private residential college with more than 7,000 students.

Firefighters have not managed to build containment barriers around the fire but hope to make some progress throughout Saturday.

Where is the Camp Fire?

The 20,000-acre (8,100-hectare) fire north of Sacramento started in the Plumas National Forest on Thursday and quickly engulfed the town of Paradise.

Residents fled for their lives as more than 6,700 homes and businesses were destroyed, making the fire the most destructive in the state's history. The flames moved so fast that some had to abandon their cars and escape the town on foot.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told a news conference on Friday that the remains of five victims were found in or near burnt-out cars. Three others were found outside homes and one inside a home.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The Camp Fire has been fuelled by strong winds and dry forest

He said another 35 people were missing and three firefighters had been injured.

"This event was the worst-case scenario," he said. "It was the event we have feared for a long time."

Rescuers used a bulldozer to push abandoned cars out of the way in order to reach a hospital and evacuate patients as the fire engulfed the building, Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter said.

"There's nothing left standing," said Scott Maclean, the state's forestry and fire protection spokesman.

The fire has now been partially contained.

Driving through walls of flame

By the BBC's James Cook, Paradise in California

Paradise is hell. A smouldering, sepia world in ruins. The air is acrid. Burning chemicals leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

Walking among the ashes of people's lives is eerie and awful. There is a profound sadness here. We pass a child's charred swing, a swimming pool filled with filth, and worst of all, a pet dog which did not survive.

Such was the intensity of the blaze that much of the debris is hard to recognise. Wafers of ash are drifting down like enormous snowflakes, smothering sound.

But it is not quite silent here. A sooty squirrel scrambles up a blackened tree in a panic. There are booms and creaks from burning trees and telegraph poles.

And soon, going from ruin to ruin, there will be the sound of those with the hardest job of all, checking to see if anyone was left behind.

Fire officials have also issued evacuation notices for parts of Chico, a town of 93,000 people north of Sacramento.

The three blazes are among 16 currently active fires in California. Officials have put most of Northern California under a Red Flag Warning, which means "extreme fire behaviour" can occur within 24 hours.

The region has grappled with serious wildfires in recent years, including the worst in the state's history - the Mendocino fire in 2018. </s> The Woolsey Fire exploded to 14,000 acres on Friday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and fire officials said the relentless blaze is continuing to grow.A total of 88,000 residents were evacuated from their homes -- 45,000 from Ventura County and 43,000 from L.A. County. It's believed another 60,000 residents south of the 101 Freeway were in the process of evacuating between the 101 and the ocean. No injuries have been reported.Acting Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to the two fires, the Woolsey Fire and the Hill Fire.The fast-moving Woolsey Fire jumped the 101 Freeway at Chesebro Road at about 5:15 a.m. and established itself on the south side of freeway, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The jump forced the freeway to close again in both directions at Liberty Canyon Road as approximately as the fire moved uphill, burning approximately 3 acres, according to the California Highway Patrol.The blaze started in Simi Valley near the Rocketdyne facility in the Santa Susana Pass. By early Friday morning, the fire had grown to more than 10,000 acres, then to 14,000 by around 11:30 a.m., Ventura County Fire Department Chief Mark Lorenzen said."We have hundreds of firefighters here on the fire lines right now, many more on order," Lorenzen said.The containment stood at 0 percent. Multiple structures were damaged and destroyed. Among the homes ruined in the blaze, several were in the Oak Park area as well as Bell Canyon.The Woolsey Fire also burned the beloved Western Town at Paramount Ranch in Agoura.The massive blaze triggered mandatory evacuations - including the entire city of Malibu Detailed fire and shelter information can be found atThe destructive flames tore through neighborhoods as wind gusts reached upwards of 30 and 40 mph . Strong winds are expected to diminish between 10 a.m. and noon.A second fire, dubbed the Hill Fire , burning in the Santa Rosa Valley east of Camarillo, west of Simi Valley near Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks, was mere miles from the scene of a deadly mass shooting that claimed 12 lives Wednesday night. Lorenzen said the fire activity in the Hill Fire zone has diminished, allowing more resources to be more focused on the Woolsey Fire.Hundreds of Ventura County firefighters and eight air tankers were battling the flames on the ground and from above.Plumes of thick, white smoke could be seen rising above the burn site as strong Santa Ana winds drove the flames amid red flag conditions.The cause of the fires remain under investigation. </s> The death toll from the three raging wildfires in California has increased to 31, with more than 300,000 people forced to evacuate from their homes across the US state, according to authorities.

Of the 31 victims, 29 died in Northern California’s Camp Fire and two in Southern California’s Woolsey Fire, reports CNN.

The Camp fire — the most destructive blaze in the state’s history and largest of the three — has burned 111,000 acres across Northern California and was 25 per cent contained as of Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire.

It has virtually burned the town of Paradise to the ground and destroyed an estimated 6,700 buildings, most of which were homes.

Cal Fire said that at least 110 people were still missing and the toll could go higher.

In Southern California, the Woolsey fire has spread to 83,275 acres and was 10 per cent contained, up from 5 per cent the night before.

The smaller Hill Fire covered 4,531 acres and was 75 per cent contained. Together, responsible for the destruction of 179 structures, but another 57,000 were threatened, fire officials said.

Firefighters on Sunday managed to contain flareups generated by high winds in Los Angeles County.

But officials warned that the dry conditions feeding the fire are expected to continue into the week and gusts would peak at around 40 mph.

“Sadly, with these winds, it’s not over yet,” Scott Jalbert, chief of Cal Fire’s San Luis Obispo Unit, said on Sunday.

More than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes statewide.

The majority of those residents were in Los Angeles County, where 170,000 were evacuated. </s> Death toll rises to 31 with 200 missing in California wildfires

(BBC) — The death toll in wildfires sweeping California has risen to 31, with more than 200 people still unaccounted for, officials have said.

Six more people were confirmed killed in the Camp Fire in the north of the state, taking the toll there to 29.

It now equals the deadliest wildfire on record in California – the 1933 Griffith Park disaster in Los Angeles.

In the south, the Woolsey Fire has claimed two lives as it damaged beach resorts including Malibu.

An estimated 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major blazes in the state.

With strengthening winds threatening to spread the flames, state Governor Jerry Brown has urged President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster, a move that would harness more federal emergency funds.

The appeal came a day after Mr Trump threatened to cut funding for California, blaming the fires on poor forest management.

What is the latest on the Camp Fire?

Emergency teams have been sifting through the remains of more than 6,700 homes and businesses burned down in the town of Paradise.

The town and surrounding area bore the brunt of the inferno, which started in nearby forest on Thursday.

At a news conference late on Sunday, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the bodies of five people had been found in their burned-out homes and a sixth was found inside a vehicle. He said that more than 200 people were still unaccounted for.

The mayor of Paradise, Jody Jones, gave the BBC an update on the situation in the town.

“Most of the residential [area] is gone. I would say 90%,” she said. “I had an opportunity to go up there and take a look for myself. Just about everyone I know lost their home.”

The fire is the most destructive in the state’s history and the joint deadliest.

It has burned more than 109,000 acres (44,000 hectares) and is nearly 25% contained, fire officials said.

What about the Woolsey Fire?

The blaze started on Thursday near Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles.

By Sunday it had consumed 83,000 acres and destroyed at least 177 buildings, officials said. It is only 10% contained. The smaller Hill Fire, nearby, has scorched 4,530 acres and is 75% contained.

Some looting was reported in the southern fire area over the weekend and police said arrests had been made.

Luxury homes in Malibu and other beach communities are among properties that have fallen victim to the flames.

Firefighters used a respite from strong winds on Saturday to drop fire retardants to strengthen firebreaks.

But officials warned against complacency, with winds of up to 70mph (112km/h) expected over the coming days. They said fires could spread quickly and unexpectedly.

“Winds are already blowing. They are going to blow for the next three days. Your house can be rebuilt but you can’t bring your life back,” said Los Angeles County fire chief Daryl Osby.

Meteorologist David Gomberg told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that fire tornadoes were possible.

What do the politicians say?

Governor Brown’s request to President Trump was aimed at bolstering the emergency response to what he called the “catastrophic” nature of the wildfires.

“We’re putting everything we’ve got into the fight against these fires and this request ensures communities on the front lines get additional federal aid,” Mr Brown’s letter said.

Mr Trump’s response to the fires has been criticised as unsympathetic and ill-informed.

On Sunday, during a trip to France, he tweeted: “With proper Forest Management, we can stop the devastation constantly going on in California. Get Smart!”

He has previously blamed Californian officials for wildfires and threatened to withhold federal funding.

In a tweet on Saturday, he accused state authorities of “gross mismanagement” of forests. </s> (Reuters) - More than 200 people were missing early on Monday in California’s deadliest and most destructive blaze on record, one of two fires raging in the state which have killed at least 31 people and forced more than a quarter of a million evacuations.

The so-called Camp Fire 40 miles northwest of Sacramento burned down more than 6,700 homes and businesses in the town of Paradise, more structures than any other wildfire recorded in California.

The fire had burned more than 111,000 acres and was 25 percent contained by late Sunday, officials said. Its death toll of 29 now equals 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.

In southern California, the Woolsey Fire has scorched at least 85,500 acres and destroyed 177 structures. The blaze was only 15 percent contained. At least two people have died in that fire, according to officials from the statewide agency Cal Fire.

The blaze has forced the authorities to issue evacuation orders for a quarter million people in Ventura and Los Angeles counties and beachside communities including the Malibu beach colony.

Celebrities at the People’s Choice Awards Sunday night in Santa Monica, Ca., asked for prayers and donations for residents and first responders.

Reality television star Kim Kardashian said, ‘It’s been a really rough week in our home in Calabasas, Hidden Hills and our neighbors in Thousand Oaks and Malibu.”

Actor Melissa McCarthy said, “Please keep the victims, volunteers and firefighters in your thoughts.” She also asked people to donate to the Los Angeles fire Department Foundation.

Hot, dry winds were expected to whip up the fires burning in both tinder-dry southern and northern California until Tuesday, officials said.

“Winds are already blowing,” Chief Daryl Osby of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said Sunday. “They are going to blow for the next three days. Your house can be rebuilt but you can’t bring your life back.”

Governor Jerry Brown asked U.S. President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to bolster the emergency response and help residents recover.

Trump has criticized the California government in Tweets this weekend, blaming poor forest management for the infernos. </s> The Woolsey Fire's toll on homes and buildings ticked up Saturday morning as 836 structures were classified as destroyed, with crews still tallying damage.

The number represented an overnight increase of more than 100 structures as teams continue to investigate the aftermath of the wildfire's rampage through Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Fire officials said 70 percent of the burn assessment is now complete.

Another 242 structures were damaged by the Woolsey Fire, which broke out in Ventura County, southeast of Simi Valley, on the afternoon of Nov. 8. The blaze, which was 82 percent contained as of Saturday morning, has chewed through some 98,362 acres, or more than 153 square miles, according to Cal Fire, the state fire agency. Three civilians have died in the fire.

As the damage count rises, it is getting closer to that wrought by last year's Thomas Fire, which destroyed 1,063 structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. A large portion of those were homes in the city of Ventura. The Thomas Fire ranks as the California's 9th most destructive wildfire on record in terms of structures destroyed, according to Cal Fire.

The Woolsey Fire's latest tally would place it at No. 13 on that list, ahead of last year's Atlas Fire in Napa and Solano counties, where 783 structures were destroyed.

The fire fed on dry brush, fueled by gusty Santa Ana winds, as it burned in and around cities from Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks to the coast, impacting Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Malibu. Its path included steep canyons and remote, rugged terrain that made access difficult.

With the containment line mostly in place Saturday and the active fire having subsided, efforts are now focused on keeping the blaze tamped down.

"Firefighters are still working hot spots in the hillsides," said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Branden Silverman Saturday morning. "It's going to be some time before we can say every bit of hot embers are put out."

Winds had died down Saturday and humidity levels had increased, which helped firefighters gain the upper hand, Silverman said. But if winds kick up, embers could still jump containment lines, he said. Many of the hot spots are in rugged terrain near the coast around Malibu and in Ventura County, he said.

At the temporary fire camp and command post set up at the Camarillo Airport, some crews could be seen filling out demobilization paperwork before heading home Saturday morning. Some 2,842 personnel were still assigned to the incident Saturday.

In Northern California, the Camp Fire's devastation continued to rise, with 71 civilian fatalities confirmed and more than 1,000 people unaccounted for, fire officials said. The fire has destroyed large portions of the community of Paradise, in Butte County northeast of Sacramento, and burned 148,000 acres since starting Nov. 8. The Camp Fire has destroyed more than 10,300 homes and other structures, according to the latest official tally.

The Hill Fire, which also erupted in Ventura County on the afternoon of Nov. 8 — less than half an hour before the Woolsey Fire sparked — was fully contained this week at 4,531 acres. It destroyed four structures and damaged two. </s> Both ends of California are on fire. While firefighters battle the Camp Fire in Northern California, their compatriots in Southern California are facing an equally harrowing situation. Spurred by the Santa Ana winds, the Woolsey and Hill fires are wreaking havoc just north of Los Angeles with an estimated 75,000 homes under evacuation orders. The number is likely to rise as winds conditions pick up again on Friday.



The twin blazes began in Ventura County on Thursday, forcing widespread evacuations in a region reeling from a deadly mass shooting earlier this week. As of late Thursday night, the Woolsey Fire had burned 7,500 acres and the Hill Fire was up to 10,000 acres. Both are running completely wild with zero percent containment as flames race up and down the steep hillsides.

Powerful Santa Ana winds blasting up to 60 mph have made conditions even worse. The winds are annual occurrence in Southern California. As they flow from east to west, rolling down the mountains and into valleys, the air they move becomes compressed. That heats it up and dries it out, which in turn can create dangerous fire conditions. Pile that on top of a severe drought that’s gripped the region for months, creating loads of fire fuel, and you have a recipe for the disaster currently unfolding.

Mandatory evacuations went up overnight in large parts of Ventura County. The county’s fire department reported that there were 30,000 people under evacuation orders, many forced to flee in the dead of night. The evacuation orders have spread to Los Angeles County as firefighters have been unable to keep pace with the fires racing across the landscape. The Woolsey Fire jumped the 101 Freeway on Friday morning and began to descend on the multi-million dollar homes of Malibu. The Los Angeles County Fire Department tweeted that it posed an “[i]mminent threat!”

Fire season is changing in Southern California in a variety of ways that are not good. That includes the global warming rigamarole every corner of the planet is dealing with to bizarre local impacts like the region losing its cooling cloud cover. Add in densely populated areas like Malibu and, well, you have a trappings of a very, very bad situation.

Update November 9, 12:31 p.m. ET: Local officials held a press conference to update reporters on the state of the Woolsey and Hill fires. Los Angeles County Chief Deputy David Richardson said there are more than 2,000 firefighters currently battling the blazes in Southern California and that up to 60,000 homes could see mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders over the course of the day.

“If you have a mandatory evacuation order, leave.,” Linda Parks, a Ventura County Supervisor, said. “We don’t want any tragedies, any deaths, any injuries.”

In addition to the challenging conditions, there’s also a resource challenge. Firefighters are being stretched thin between these fires and the Camp Fire, making it tough to set a proper fire line. That’s in part why the Woolsey Fire jumped the 101 Freeway and Malibu is being evacuated.

“The perimeter now is the Pacific Ocean,” Richardson said.

Update November 8, 4:30 p.m. ET: Populated parts of Malibu are now burning as the Woolsey Fire pushes into town uncontrolled. Local TV news crew are reporting that firefighters are unable to access large areas from the ground and are only able to offer air support. Acting Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.
Two people have been confirmed killed by the Woolsey Fire, which has burned 70,000 acres and hundreds of homes near Los Angeles.