Page 4 - ARUBS TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 11 OctOber 2017

Wildfires leave chimneys, charred appliances in their wake

By JON J. COOPER lines and unstable struc-
ELLEN KNICKMEYER tures including trees.
Associated Press But many found it hard to
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) stay away.
— The flames that raced In the Santa Rosa suburb
across California wine known as Coffey Park,
country left little more Robyn Pellegrini let out a cry
than smoldering ashes and of grief as she approached
eye-stinging smoke in their the smoldering ruins of the
wake. House after house duplex she shared with her
was gone, with only brick husband and their 6-year-
chimneys and charred old son. Daniel Pellegrini
laundry machines to mark held his wife before they
sites that were once family went searching for some-
homes. thing they could salvage
The wildfires burned so for their child.
hot that windows and tire With bare hands, they sift-
rims melted off cars, leav- ed through the remains of
ing many vehicles resting the exterior wall, which had
on their steel axles. In one collapsed into dust inside
driveway, the glass back- the house and covered
board of a basketball all the other debris in their
hoop melted, dripped and Mary Caughey, center in blue, reacts with her son Harrison, left, after finding her wedding ring in boy’s room. They found a
solidified like a mangled debris at her home destroyed by fires in Kenwood, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. stuffed animal — charred
icicle. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) but still recognizable as a
Newly homeless residents ficials expected the death centers, said Maj. Gen. Da- was very difficult,” Pimlott turtle. Robyn Pellegrini let
of Northern California took toll to increase as the vid Baldwin. said. out joyful gasps when they
stock of their shattered lives scope of destruction be- In addition to knocking Among the victims were found pieces of his rock
Tuesday while the blazes comes clear. At least 100 out electricity, the blazes 100-year-old Charles collection.
that have killed at least people were injured during damaged or destroyed Rippey and his wife, Sara, A young boy across the
15 people and destroyed the blazes that started Sun- 77 cellular sites, disrupting who was 98. The couple street, whose home was
more than 2,000 homes day night. Nearly 200 peo- communication services was married for 75 years spared, brought over one
and businesses kept burn- ple were reported missing that officials were rushing and lived at the Silverado of his own stuffed animals
ing. Hundreds more fire- in Sonoma County alone. to restore, said Emergency Resort in Napa. to share.
fighters joined the battle Seventeen wildfires contin- Operations Director Mark “The only thing worse “You lose all your photos,”
against the uncontained ued to rage Tuesday across Ghilarducci. would have been if one said Tony Pellegrini, Dan-
flames. parts of seven counties. Fire The fires that started Sun- survived without the other,” iel’s father. “You feel like
“This is just pure devasta- crews and other resources day night moved so quickly their granddaughter, Ruby you lost a part of your life.”
tion, and it’s going to take were being rushed in from that thousands of people Gibney told Oakland tele- Officials hoped cooler
us a while to get out and other parts of the state and were forced to flee with vision station KTVU. weather and lighter winds
comb through all of this,” Nevada. only a few minutes of warn- A thick, smoky haze would help crews get a
said Ken Pimlott, chief of More than 240 members ing. Some did not get out in cloaked much of Napa handle on the fires.
the California Department of the California National time. and Sonoma counties, “The weather has been
of Forestry and Fire Protec- Guard helped ferry fuel to “They burned so quickly, where neighborhoods hit working in our favor, but
tion. He said the state had first responders because there was not time to no- by the fires were com- it doesn’t mean it will stay
“several days of fire weath- so many gas stations were tify everybody. These fires pletely leveled. Authorities that way,” said Brad Alex-
er conditions to come.” without power. Guard came down in the neigh- warned residents not to re- ander, a spokesman of the
The wildfires already rank members were also helping borhoods before people turn to their houses for safe- governor’s Office of Emer-
among the five deadliest with medical evacuations realized the fires were oc- ty reasons, citing the risk of gency Services.
in California history, and of- and security at evacuation curring in many cases. It exposed electrical and gas In Washington, Presi-
dent Donald Trump said
White House requests $5B to assist Puerto Rico he spoke with Gov. Jerry
Brown to “let him know
that the federal govern-
By ANDREW TAYLOR Puerto Rico’s central gov- mally Tuesday, would pro- saster relief.The administra- ment will stand with the
Associated Press ernment and various mu- vide $4.9 billion for Puerto tion asked for $29 billion last people of California. And
WASHINGTON (AP) — nicipalities and other local Rico and its local jurisdic- week for FEMA disaster re- we will be there for you in
The White House is asking governments are suffering tions.The White House also lief efforts and federal flood this time of terrible tragedy
Congress for $5 billion to unsustainable cash short- requested $150 million to insurance claims.A senior and need.”
ease a fiscal crisis striking falls as Maria has choked help Puerto Rico with the administration official con- The government declared
the government of Puerto off revenues and strained 10 percent match required firmed Tuesday’s request, a disaster, which should
Rico in the wake of Hurri- resources. The administra- for Federal Emergency requiring anonymity be- give the state help putting
cane Maria. tion’s request, sent infor- Management Agency di- cause it is not yet official.q out the flames.q