California’s Out-of-Control Wildfires Claim More Victims

Authorities in Northern California on Tuesday evening said at least two more people have been killed in wildfires ravaging multiple counties, bringing the death toll to 17 since Sunday. The latest deaths were reported in Sonoma County, where the fires have already claimed 11 lives and more than 200 people remain missing. Three people have been killed in Mendocino County, two in Napa County, and one in Yuba County. Authorities in Santa Rosa and Sonoma also called for additional evacuations on Tuesday as the fires continued to burn. Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire, told CNN the cause of the fires is still unknown but the chance they were caused by lightning is “fairly minimal.” Most of the 15 fires broke out Sunday night and quickly spread thanks to windy and dry conditions, authorities said. The fires have already burned more than 115,000 acres, destroying at least 2,000 structures.