The Camp Fire has claimed 48 lives and 8,800 structures in Northern California, officials said on Tuesday.
The blaze, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history, kept growing Tuesday, though firefighters got some reprieve as winds died down.
Still, though swirling winds and limited visibility at times remained challenging, Cal Fire operations section chief Joshua Bischof said the day was a successful one.
Winds Tuesday weren’t as brisk, something forecasters said should be the case for the next few days. There is no rain in the forecast, though, until possibly Thanksgiving.
Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory L. Honea told reporters that six people have been arrested for looting and other crimes.
In Southern California, the Woolsey Fire has claimed two lives and charred more than 150 square miles — an area larger than the size of Denver.
The fire has destroyed 435 structures, and crews are still battling flames amid red flag warnings.
The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles said there were wind gusts Tuesday of up to 33 mph in the fire areas.
There was also some relief in areas where people had evacuated from the Woolsey Fire. About 11 areas were reopened to residents.
While the Camp Fire is still getting larger, some residents returned to what’s left of their gutted homes.
While the causes of the Camp and Woolsey fires have not been determined, state regulators are investigating two utility companies that reported incidents shortly before the two fires started.
Almost 15 minutes before the Camp Fire began near Pulga, PG&E said it experienced a transmission line outage about 1 mile northeast of the town.
In Ventura County, where the Woolsey Fire began, SoCal Edison reported that a circuit relayed about two minutes before the fire started Thursday afternoon. It happened “near E Street/Alfa Road” — the same intersection where Cal Fire said the Woolsey Fire began.
But SoCal Edison said “at this point we have no indication from fire agency personnel that SCE utility facilities may have been involved in the start of the fire.”
Both power companies say they are cooperating with state investigators.
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