Page 6 - aruba-today-20181110

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 10 November 2018
Northern California wildfire nearly quadruples in size

By DON THOMPSON and Concerned friends and
PAUL ELIAS family posted frantic mes-
Associated Press sages on Twitter and other
PARADISE, Calif. (AP) — A sites saying they were look-
wildfire that moved so fast ing for loved ones, particu-
firefighters didn't even try larly seniors who lived at
to stop it killed five people, retirement homes or alone.
authorities said Friday as Bass evacuated his family
the blaze quadrupled in from Paradise and returned
size after leveling much of to the fire to help rescue
a Northern California town several disabled residents,
of nearly 30,000 people. including a man trying to
Only a day after it began, carry his bedridden wife to
the fire near the town of safety.
Paradise had grown to Chico police officer John
nearly 110 square miles Barker and his partner
(285 square kilometers), evacuated several elderly
and investigators found five people from an apartment
people dead in vehicles complex.
that were torched by the "Most of them were immo-
flames. bile, with walkers or spouses
"There was really no firefight that were bedridden, so
involved," said Capt. Scott we were trying to get ad-
McLean of the California ditional units to come and
Department of Forestry and try and help us, just taking
Fire Protection, explaining as many as we could," he
that crews gave up attack- said.
ing the flames and instead Kelly Lee called shelters
helped people evacuate. looking for her husband's
"These firefighters were in 93-year-old grandmother,
the rescue mode all day Dorothy Herrera, who was
yesterday." last heard from Thursday
The entire town was or- morning. Herrera, who
dered evacuated, setting lives in Paradise with her
off a desperate exodus in 88-year-old husband, Lou,
which many motorists got left a frantic voicemail
struck in gridlocked traffic around 9:30 a.m. saying
and abandoned their ve- Flames consume a Kentucky Fried Chicken as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise, Calif., on they needed to get out.
hicles to flee foot. People Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. "We never heard from them
reported seeing much of Associated Press again," Lee said. "We're
the community go up in worried sick. ... They do
flames, including homes, the number of people stunned silence Friday out- Miller jumped in her boy- have a car, but they both
supermarkets, businesses, forced from their homes at side a Chico church where friend's rickety pickup truck, are older and can be con-
restaurants, schools and a 157,000. they took refuge the night which was low on gas and fused at times."
retirement center. The massive blaze that hit before. They all had har- equipped with a bad trans- In Southern California,
The dead were found in the Paradise spread north Fri- rowing tales of a slow-mo- mission. She instantly found about two-thirds of the
same part of Paradise, the day, prompting officials to tion escape from a fire so herself stuck in gridlock. city of Malibu was ordered
Butte County Sheriff's Office order the evacuation of close they could feel the "I was frantic," she said. evacuated early Friday as
said. Stirling City and Inskip, two heat inside their vehicles as After an hour of no move- a ferocious wildfire roared
Rural areas fared little bet- communities north of Para- they sat stuck in a terrifying ment, she abandoned toward the beachside
ter. Many homes have pro- dise along the Sierra Ne- traffic jam. the truck and decided to community that is home
pane tanks that were ex- vada foothills. When the order came to try her luck on foot. While to about 13,000 residents,
ploding amid the flames. The wind-driven flames also evacuate, it was like the walking, a stranger in the some of them Hollywood
"They were going off like spread to the west and entire town of 27,000 resi- traffic jam rolled down her celebrities.
bombs," said Karen Auday, reached the edge of Chi- dents decided to leave at window asked Miller if she The Los Angeles County
who escaped to a nearby co, a city of 90,000 people. once, they said. Fire sur- needed help. Miller at first Fire Department tweeted
town. Firefighters were able to rounded the evacuation she scoffed at the notion of that the fire raging through
McLean estimated that the stop the fire at the edge of route, and drivers pan- getting back in a stopped the Santa Monica Moun-
lost buildings numbered in the city, where evacuation icked. Some crashed and car. The she reconsidered, tains was headed to the
the thousands in Paradise, orders remained in place others left their vehicles by thinking: "I'm really scared, ocean. Another fire was
about 180 miles (290 kilo- Friday, Cal Fire Cpt. Bill Mur- the roadside. this is terrifying, I can't burning farther west in Ven-
meters) northeast of San phy said. "It was just a wall of fire on breathe, I can't see and tura County, also moving
Francisco. The winds calmed down in each side of us, and we maybe I should humble toward the ocean.
"Pretty much the communi- the valley, but they were could hardly see the road myself and get in this wom- The National Weather Ser-
ty of Paradise is destroyed. still shifting and erratic, with in front of us," police officer an's car." vice issued extreme fire
It's that kind of devasta- speeds of up to 45 mph (72 Mark Bass said. The stranger ended up danger warnings in many
tion," he said. kph) along ridge tops, he A nurse called Rita Miller at helping Miller pack up her areas of the state, saying
With fires burning in both said. about 7 a.m. Thursday, tell- mother and taking them to low humidity and strong
Northern and Southern With ash falling and the sky ing her she had to get her safety in Chico, which took winds were expected
California, the director of darkening to a menacing disabled mother, who lives three hours to travel the 14 to continue through the
the Governor's Office of shade of black, evacu- a few blocks away, and miles from Paradise to Chi- evening.q
Emergency Services put ees from Paradise sat in flee Paradise immediately. co.