California wildfires: Bodies recovered, 250,000 forced to flee

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Rescue workers recovered multiple bodies on Saturday from the charred remains of residences in a California town ravaged by the most destructive fire to hit the US state.

Firefighters are battling raging blazes at both ends of California, but there is little hope of containing the flames anytime soon.

More than 250,000 people have been ordered to evacuate a wide area near the state capital Sacramento and the Hollywood resort town of Malibu in southern California.

In the town of Paradise, rescuers removed remains over a period of several hours and placed them in a black hearse.

So far, all the dead have been reported in Paradise, where more than 6,700 buildings - mostly residences - have been engulfed by the inferno.

Flames from a wildfire burn a portion of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California, November 9, 2018. /VCG Photo

US President Donald Trump put the death toll at 11 on Saturday evening - a count that seemed set to rise with bodies being recovered in Paradise.

"Our hearts are with those fighting the fires, the 52,000 who have evacuated, and the families of the 11 who have died," Trump tweeted.

From miles around, thick smoke could be seen in the sky around Paradise, with the sun barely visible. On the ground, cars were reduced to metal carcasses, while power lines were also gnawed by the flames.

"The magnitude of destruction we have seen is really unbelievable and heartbreaking, and our hearts go to everybody who has been affected by this," said Mark Ghilarducci, the director of the California Office of Emergency Services.

Abandoned and burnt-out vehicles sit at a parking lot in Paradise, north of Sacramento, California, November 9, 2018. /VCG Photo

The fast-moving blaze in the north, which authorities have named the "Camp Fire," broke out early Thursday.

Fanned by strong winds, it has so far scorched 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares) and is 20 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Saturday.

So far, three of the more than 3,200 firefighters deployed have been injured. They estimate they will need three weeks to fully contain the blaze.

Trump, who was in France for World War I commemorations, drew criticism online for his somewhat unsympathetic reaction to the devastation earlier on Saturday.

A vineyard burns overnight during a wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in California, November 9, 2018. /VCG Photo

"There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!" Trump tweeted.

Singer Katy Perry has criticized the president's response to the wildfires as "absolutely heartless".

In southern California, more wildfires burned. Authorities said some 200,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders, including the entire city of Malibu.

The "Woolsey Fire" had consumed around 69,000 acres, destroyed at least 150 homes and was so far not contained, the Ventura County Fire Department said, adding that evacuation orders were issued for some 88,000 homes in the county and neighboring Los Angeles County.

Lady Gaga's Malibu Mansion is surrounded by wildfire in Malibu, California, November 9, 2018. /VCG Photo

Malibu is one of the most in-demand locations in California for stars seeking privacy and luxury.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, who lives just north of coastal Malibu, revealed she was forced to flee her home. "I heard the flames have hit our property at our home in Hidden Hills but now are more contained and have stopped at the moment," she said on Twitter. "I just pray the winds are in our favor."

The wildfire reached Paramount Ranch, destroying the Western Town sets used for hundreds of productions including HBO'S sci-fi western "Westworld," officials and the network said.

The National Weather Service said Saturday strong winds and dry conditions were to continue through the weekend.

Source(s): AFP