THE death toll from the Northern California wildfire has climbed to 76, while nearly 1300 people remain unaccounted for.
Officials also raised the number of people on the missing persons list, hours after president Donald Trump surveyed what remained of a decimated community.
Butte County sheriff Kory Honea pleaded with fire evacuees to help authorities keep their records accurate and up to date.
“It’s really very important for you to take a look at the list and call us if you’re on the list,” he said.
Firefighters raced to get ahead of strong winds and low humidity expected last night. Rain is forecast later this week, which could help firefighters, but also complicate the search for remains.
Northern California’s Camp Fire has destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and torched 233 square miles. It is now 55% contained.
The fire zone in Northern California is to some extent Trump country, and that enthusiasm was on display as dozens of people cheered and waved flags as his motorcade went by on Saturday.
The president pledged the full support of the federal government.
“We’ve never seen anything like this in California, we’ve never seen anything like this yet. It’s like total devastation,” Trump said.
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