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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 14 OctOber 2017
Teams report first progress against wine country wildfires

Continued on Page 4 The influx of outside help
offered critical relief to fire-
Dozens of search-and-res- fighters who have been
cue personnel at a mobile working with little rest since
home park in Santa Rosa the blazes started.
carried out the grim task “It’s like pulling teeth to
Friday of searching for re- get firefighters and law en-
mains. Fire tore through forcement to disengage
Santa Rosa early Monday, from what they are doing
leaving only a brief window out there,” CalFire’s Napa
for residents to flee, and chief Barry Biermann said.
decimated the park, which “They are truly passionate
was known as Journey’s about what they are do-
End and was home to hun- ing to help the public, but
dreds of people. resources are coming in.
Workers were looking for That’s why you are seeing
two missing people who the progress we’re mak-
lived at the park. They ing.” In addition to man-
found one set of remains, power, equipment deliver-
mostly bone fragments, ies have poured in. Crews
and continued looking for were using 840 fire engines
the other, said Sonoma A firefighter carries a water hose to put out a fire during along the Highway 29 Friday, Oct. 13, from across California and
County Sgt. Spencer Crum. 2017, near Calistoga, Calif. Firefighters gained some ground on a blaze burning in the heart of another 170 sent from
To help in the search, the California’s wine country but face another tough day ahead with low humidity and high winds around the country.
Alameda County Sheriff’s expected to return. Before dawn, four firetrucks
Office near San Francisco (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) rolled out of Eastside Fire
sent specialized equip- and five dogs trained to some victims were so badly implants found in the ashes and Rescue in Issaquah,
ment, including drones with sniff out human remains. burned they were identi- that have ID numbers on Washington, part of three
three-dimensional cameras Authorities have said that fied only by metal surgical them. King County strike teams. q

Texas couple survives being stranded 6 days in rural Utah

By BRADY McCOMBS while on vacation in south- impassable in their rental pened to be checking on Alldredge said. She was
Associated Press ern Utah ended up narrow- car, authorities said Friday. his cattle in the area of the confused and severely de-
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A ly surviving six harrowing Helena Byler, 78, was found Grand Staircase-Escalante hydrated.
Texas couple who set out days stranded on a rocky, lying on the road Oct. 2 National Monument, Kane Search and rescue teams
for a day trip to Lake Powell desolate dirt road that was by a rancher who hap- County Chief Deputy Alan aboard a helicopter found
her husband, Gerald Byler,
76, later that day in a trail-
er he took shelter in after
spotting an SOS sign made
out of rocks and flowers
that was nearby. He was
severely dehydrated and
unable to move, but could
speak with rescuers.
Gerald Byler remained
hospitalized Friday in St.
George, where he is in
good condition in a neuro
specialty rehabilitation unit
at Dixie Regional Medi-
cal Center, said hospital
spokeswoman McKoye
Mecham. Helena Byler
only had to spend one
night in the hospital.
The couple from Houston
may not have survived one
more day in the extremely
remote area with no cell-
phone coverage where
it’s normal to go a full week
without any cars using the
road, Alldredge said. They
had hardly any food or
water, drinking only from
puddles that formed in the
ground after rains.
“It’s an amazing story,” All-
dredge said.q