CBS/AP November 19, 2018, 9:29 AM
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Some victims of California’s worst-ever wildfire are asking why the state’s largest utility didn’t shut off power in areas that were at high risk. The death toll from the Camp Fire is up to 77, and that number is likely to rise.
Nearly 1,000 other people are unaccounted for. In 11 days, the fire has destroyed more than 10,000 homes north of Sacramento, the state’s capital.
Pacific Gas & Electric said two of its power lines failed in areas where the fire broke out a short time before the first flames were reported. It highlighted one failure the day the fire began but then waited more than a week to report the second until more information was available.
PG&E said the fire forecast did not meet the criteria for a “public safety power shutoff.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
California wildfire map
This map shows where two major fires are burning in California.
CBS News
Follow California wildfire updates below
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California wildfires fast facts
These are the current numbers as of Sunday night from Cal Fire.
Camp Fire
- Location: Butte County
- 150,000 acres burned
- 65 percent contained
- 77 fatalities confirmed
- 993 unaccounted for
- 12,794 structures destroyed
- Full containment expected Nov. 30
Woolsey Fire
- Location: Los Angeles County, Ventura County
- 96,949 acres burned
- 91 percent contained
- 3 fatalities confirmed
- 1,452 structures destroyed, 337 damaged
- Full containment expected Nov. 22
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Vigil held in Chico, California, for wildfire victims
A vigil was held for victims of the deadly Camp Fire on Sun., Nov. 18, 2018.
City of Paradise, California
The town of Paradise, California, held a vigil Sunday night to remember the dozens who died in the wildfire that swept through the region.
The vigil at First Christian Church in Chico was a time for residents to quietly reflect, pray, bring photos or momentos of lost friends, family and pets and was a chance to seek help from counselors and mental health experts.
A sign at the vigil read: “We will rise from the ashes” and two hashtags: #paradisestrong #buttecountystorng
People hugged and shed tears as Pastor Jesse Kearns recited a prayer for first responders: “We ask for continued strength as they are growing weary right now.”
A vigil was held for victims of the deadly Camp Fire on Sun., Nov. 18, 2018.
City of Paradise, California
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Calif. governor says Trump promised he won’t cut wildfire funding
California Gov. Jerry Brown said President Trump assured him he will not cut federal funding to California to deal with the state’s deadly wildfires in what the governor called a “big, big win.”
On Saturday, Brown and the president toured damage from the Camp Fire that killed dozens of people, with nearly 1,300 more still unaccounted for. The governor also said economic impact of the fires will be “tens of billions” of dollars.
“The president not only has signed a presidential declaration giving California substantial funding, but he said and pledged very specifically to continue to help us, that he’s got our back,” Brown said on “Face the Nation” Sunday. “And I thought that was a very positive thing.”
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Trump visits Malibu
In Malibu, President Trump visited a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean where houses once stood and palm trees stand scorched, signs of the intense fires. Mr. Trump praised local officials, first responders and military assistance, and he said permits to rebuild will be expedited.
Standing alongside Mr. Trump, California Gov. Jerry Brown says officials will need to assess all the information available about wildfires in planning for the future. The state’s governor-elect, Gavin Newsom, says people have had enough and the problem needs to be dealt with head-on.
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Trump says destruction hasn’t changed his mind on climate change
President Trump visited the devastation in Paradise, California, after a deadly wildfire nearly leveled the entire community. Mr. Trump declined to say whether climate change directly impacted the fires, saying there were “a lot of factors.”
In October, he told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” he no longer considers climate change a hoax, but said he doesn’t believe it is manmade.
Mr. Trump on Saturday called the wildfire a “really bad one” and said “hopefully” it would be the last. “I think everybody’s seen the light, and I don’t think we’ll have this again to this extent,” he said.
