Nine dead, who were presumably trapped by the flames in their vehicle as they tried to escape, the Butte County Sheriff announced on Friday.
Photo: Noah Berger / AP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BMJ57VcFMA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGia-zB9OdoCalifornia wildfires: at least nine people have died.
The fire has been raging since Thursday in northern California, whilst further south, the famous seaside resort of Malibu is under threat from another fire that is spreading rapidly.
Paradise has been partially destroyed by the fire known as the "Camp Fire", which broke out on Thursday morning. Fanned by strong winds, the blaze spread rapidly, blanketing the town in thick smoke and ash. It has scorched more than 280 km², according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Fanned by strong winds, the fire – which is unusual for this time of year – spread at breakneck speed from dawn on Friday, blanketing the small town in thick smoke and ash. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, along with a hospital, a petrol station, numerous vehicles and several restaurants. “I think we’ve lost a secondary school and at least one of the primary schools”, added the mayor of Paradise, Jody Jones, as quoted by the newspaper Los Angeles Times.
More than 2,200 firefighters were battling the flames, supported by helicopters and water tankers. “The scale of the destruction we have seen is truly incredible and heart-wrenching”, said Mark Ghilarducci of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.