Rain in Northern California is helping crews battling the devastating Camp Fire, which is now 90 percent contained. However, the weather is also hampering teams searching for remains of people in rubble as hundreds of evacuees are spending Thanksgiving in a Walmart parking lot.
Officials said more than 800 people are searching the rubble for human remains on Thursday after the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday night two more people died in the fire, bringing the total to 83.
Officials also said the amount of missing people on their list has decreased to more than 560. Authorities need to make direct contact with a missing person before they can be removed from the list.
The Camp Fire decimated the town of Paradise, population 27,000, and surrounding communities. Officials expected people to be in shelters through the Christmas holiday, CBS News correspondent Meg Oliver reports.
The wildfire has destroyed more than 14,000 homes. “This is certainly one of the worst fires in California history, and it’s the most destruction I’ve ever seen in my career,” Cal Fire Operations Chief Josh Bischoff said.
The Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles County has been 100 percent contained Wednesday night, according to Cal Fire.
California wildfire map
This map shows where two major fires are burning in California.
CBS News
