Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
Dry conditions and strong winds fueled a deadly outbreak of wildfires in California that quickly tore through thousands of acres of forest and residential neighborhoods, killing at least 13 people and injuring over 100 others.
More than a dozen fires broke out across the state on Sunday and Monday and destroyed at least 1,500 structures and scorched nearly 100,000 acres of land. Some 20,000 people have been forced to flee.
It is already among the deadliest wildfire outbreaks in the state’s history, and officials have said the death toll may go up as responders reach more areas struck by the out-of-control blazes.
The Tubbs fire claimed seven lives in Sonoma County, officials said, making it one of the most devastating natural disasters in the county’s history.
Firefighters were battling 17 fires across multiple counties in the state as of late Monday, authorities said. Intensified by strong winds, the fires charred about 115,000 acres of land, destroyed at least 1,500 buildings and forced nearly 20,000 residents to evacuate.
St. Joseph Health said about 170 patients have been treated, many for burns and smoke inhalation, at three of its hospitals, including two in Sonoma County, where at least seven people died of fire-related injuries. Authorities have 183 unresolved missing person reports, according to one Sonoma County official.
