Dozens dead, hundreds unaccounted for as California wildfires continue to burn

The death toll from ongoing California wildfires reached 31 on Sunday, and more than two hundred people are still unaccounted for as major fires continue to rage across the state.

What are the details?

The Associated Press reported that the Camp Fire — which is burning north of Sacramento — has claimed the lives of 29 people, raising the statewide total to 31 while the Woolsey Fire continues to ravage northwest of Los Angeles.

Cal Fire has identified more than a dozen blazes cited as "major incidents" currently being battled by firefighters.



Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said that 228 people are still missing after the Camp Fire overcame the town of Paradise. According to the Daily Mail, Hornea said that destruction is so great in some areas that "it's very difficult to determine whether or not there may be human remains there."

"In some cases, the only remains we are able to recover are bones or bone fragments," he added.

Some victims died in their vehicles while trying to flee.

Roughly 150,000 California residents remained displaced as of Monday morning, as fire crews continue to arrive from other states to assist. More than 8,000 crews are already battling the flames, according to the AP, and 400 square miles have already been scorched.

Anything else?

President Donald Trump blamed the fires on poor forest management in a tweet on Saturday, drawing widespread criticism from firefighter unions, local officials and others who disagreed.

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018

During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) repeatedly pointed to climate change as a contributing cause of the fires, according to The Washington Post.

"We're in a new abnormal. Things like this will be part of our future," Brown said. "Things like this and worse. The chickens are coming home to roost. This is real here."