Camp fire devastates Paradise

Already hit by the very destructive Thomas Fire last winter (then second largest wildfire seen in California, now third), by Mendocino Complex fire (largest wildfire seen in California) this summer, California suffers from the wildfire the most costly in human lifes from its history. This country in particular had suffered from Butte fire last summer and nearby Oroville dam had been endangered by excessive rainfalls not even two years ago as shown in past stories.

The 16.11.2018, Amanda Schmidt wrote for AccuWeather: "The most deadly and destructive wildfire in California history continues to burn in Northern California in Butte County. The fire has destroyed hundreds of buildings and has placed hundreds of lives at risk. As the Camp Fire rages on, authorities continue to search tirelessly for over 600 missing people. Sixty-three fatalities have been confirmed by officials, making it the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. Previously, the deadliest fire was the Griffith Park Fire which claimed the lives of 29 people in October of 1933. The Camp Fire is also the most destructive individual fire in California's history, with the number of structures destroyed surpassing 10,000, and over 15,000 still threatened. Previously, the most destructive fire was the Tubbs Fire which destroyed 5,636 structures in October 2017."

Dr. Joel N. Myers, founder and president of AccuWeather, said: "At this point, AccuWeather estimates that the total damage and economic impact of the California wildfires has already exceeded $80 billion, and will likely exceed $150 billion and possibly reach $200 billion by next week based on AccuWeather forecast conditions of strong winds and very little rain combined with very dry grounds and vegetation aggravated by lack of rain and strong parched winds. If these conditions and the resulting damage persist at least partially into December, this could well turn out to be one of the U.S.' costliest weather and climate disasters, exceeding the damage caused by recent major hurricanes such as Katrina, Sandy and Harvey."

ABC News added: "There were more than 1,000 people still missing in the Butte County fire zones on Friday night, though authorities were working to track them down." A more recent toll from California firefighters counted at least 77 civilian fatalities and over 10000 homes destroyed.