Authorities say two people who died in a central California wildfire were trying to flee when they were killed.
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said at a news conference Friday that the two were outside of their house and overcome with smoke when they died in the massive blaze in the Lake Isabella area.
He released no further details on the two dead.
Youngblood said his department hasn't been able to search very extensively and would be looking through burned homes with cadaver dogs seeking more possible victims.
County fire officials say the blaze has grown to nearly 47 square miles since breaking out Thursday and is still burning out of control.
It has destroyed 80 homes and forced the evacuation of 1,500 more reports AP.
A massive California wildfire that has already killed two people and destroyed 100 structures was burning out of control on Friday evening as officials said it was possible more victims could be found in the rubble.
The blaze has also sent three firefighters to the hospital for smoke inhalation and forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes ahead of the flames.
California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Kern County.
"This has been a massive amount of evacuations, people going door to door asking people to leave their homes because it's very dangerous out there," Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told reporters at a Friday evening press conference.
Youngblood said two people had been confirmed killed in the inferno and that more fatalities could be discovered once authorities were able to search burned out neighborhoods.
"We're gonna go back over the rubble with cadaver dogs," he said.
"We don't know if there are other victims who were unable to escape this fire."
Fire officials said they had zero containment of the Erskine Fire, which was being driven by high temperatures and bone-dry vegetation from a five-year California drought.
"Everything is just working into a perfect storm," Kern County fire Captain Mike Nicholas said in a phone interview.
Some 800 firefighters struggled against the fast-moving flames in steep terrain.
On Friday, authorities warned the more than 3,000 residents of the community of Lake Isabella on the shore of a reservoir to be prepared to evacuate.
Southeast of Lake Isabella, dozens of burned-out homes and car frames could be seen in a neighborhood reduced to a field of mangled metal and collapsed roofs.
Two groups of residents picked through the rubble while firefighters worked in the area.
The rapidly expanding blaze 150 miles (241 km) north of Los Angeles has destroyed 100 structures, including homes, outbuildings and detached garages, Nicholas said.
Another 1,500 structures were threatened.
Morgan Rivers, an evacuee from the blaze, told Los Angeles television station KABC she lost the house that belonged to her late grandmother.
"It's fully mine now and I just lost it after getting it last year," Rivers told the station.
To the south, firefighters were struggling to manage the so-called San Gabriel Complex fire in the foothills of Los Angeles County.
As of Friday, it had burned over 5,300 acres (2,144 hectares) of chaparral and short grass, and containment lines were drawn around 30 percent of its perimeter.
All evacuation orders have been lifted.
cc
At least 79 dead as lightning strikes the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh
If the heat doesn't kill you the rain will: 40 people killed in heavy rains across Uttar Pradesh, India
Mag 7. Quake in April responsible for landslides as devastating floods hit Japan killing 3
20 dead more than 250,000 evacuated and 325,000 hectares of crops damaged as more floods hit China
A months rain in a couple of hours kills 3 and thousands of livestock in Niger: The latest West African country to be devasted by floods
"I never seen rain like this before": Zero visibility in State of Michigan from terrifying micro storm
Heat records shattered as fierce hot spell in the San Diego area hits 118F (48C)
Death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia reaches 46 with dozens still missing
Phoenix-bound flight forced to return to Houston because of 120F (49C) deadly heat: 50 year old heat record shattered!
A months rain in one hour: Australia's East coast under water again after torrential rains
24 dead and 26 missing as torrential rains damage thousands of homes in Indonesia
Almost 50C (120F) is just plain dangerous! Phoenix issues excessive heat warning
Beautiful Roll Cloud Rises Over Lake Michigan
Snow storm hits Hawaii just days before official summer time begins!
Heat Emergency Plan imposed as Houston heat hits 108F (42C)
India burning! Unbearable heat due to the 90% humidity factor as temperatures hit 43.2 degrees Celsius (110F)
"Their Sky Has Changed!" Inuit elders sharing information with NASA regarding Earth's "WOBBLE"
Nuuk warmer than New York as Greenland records it's warmest temperature in June ever!
If the heat doesn't kill you the rain will: 40 people killed in heavy rains across Uttar Pradesh, India
Mag 7. Quake in April responsible for landslides as devastating floods hit Japan killing 3
20 dead more than 250,000 evacuated and 325,000 hectares of crops damaged as more floods hit China
A months rain in a couple of hours kills 3 and thousands of livestock in Niger: The latest West African country to be devasted by floods
"I never seen rain like this before": Zero visibility in State of Michigan from terrifying micro storm
Heat records shattered as fierce hot spell in the San Diego area hits 118F (48C)
Death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia reaches 46 with dozens still missing
Phoenix-bound flight forced to return to Houston because of 120F (49C) deadly heat: 50 year old heat record shattered!
A months rain in one hour: Australia's East coast under water again after torrential rains
24 dead and 26 missing as torrential rains damage thousands of homes in Indonesia
Almost 50C (120F) is just plain dangerous! Phoenix issues excessive heat warning
Beautiful Roll Cloud Rises Over Lake Michigan
Snow storm hits Hawaii just days before official summer time begins!
Heat Emergency Plan imposed as Houston heat hits 108F (42C)
India burning! Unbearable heat due to the 90% humidity factor as temperatures hit 43.2 degrees Celsius (110F)
"Their Sky Has Changed!" Inuit elders sharing information with NASA regarding Earth's "WOBBLE"
Nuuk warmer than New York as Greenland records it's warmest temperature in June ever!
No comments:
Post a Comment