Death Toll In CA Wildfires At 25; New "Devil Winds" Expected; Choking Air Quality; 250,000 Evacuated



Update: Governor Jerry Brown has requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Trump, while a state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles, Ventura and Butte counties.
"If granted, a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration would make individuals in the impacted counties eligible for a number of programs and support, including crisis counseling, housing and unemployment assistance and legal services. The declaration would also help state, tribal and local governments with ongoing emergency response and recovery, including the repair and replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and infrastructure, including roads, bridges and utilities."


Meawhile, Pepperdine University has closed its Malabu and Calabasas campuses through Thanksgiving. 

The death toll from California's multiple wildfires has risen to 25, after 14 more bodies were discovered in or near the Northern California town of Paradise, bringing the number of confirmed dead in the so-called Camp Fire to 23. Over 6,700 structures were destroyed just one day after the fire began, while 110 people remain missing according to authorities. 
"We are doing everything we possibly can to identify those remains and make contact with the next of kin so we can return the remains to the family," said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea Saturday morning. 
A red flag warning remains in effect in Northern California due to strong winds and dry conditions, while Southern California officials have warned similar gusts expected to kick up on Sunday. 
"We’ll get sustained winds of up to 40 mph and gusts between 60 mph and 70 mph," said NWS meteorologist Marc Chenard, adding that he expectes Santa Ana "devil wind" to hit the Los Angeles area.
"It’s nothing but bad news," said Chenard.






Two fatalities have been reported in the Southern California Woolsey fire, which has ripped through more than 83,000 acres as of Saturday night, destroying 177 structures, and is just 5% contained. California fire officials estimate full containment by Thursday, while over 3,200 firefighters are on the scene. Approximately 57,000 structures are considered at risk.

Air quality 
Los Angeles public health officials have issued an air quality alert for central LA County, west and east San Fernando Valley, and western San Gabriel Valley, as a thick blanket of smoke has enveloped the region. Officials have advised wearing respirator masks with a rating of N95 or higher. 
And while the high Santa Ana winds that have fueled the SoCal fires died down a bit over the weekend, the National Weather Service predicts a resurgence expected to last until Tuesday. Fire crews face "steep terrain, limited access and extreme fire behavior," according to CalFire.