Another tragic story emerged from California Wednesday after officials found two bodies in charred homes in the Sierra Nevada foothills, where mandatory evacuations were earlier ordered for the explosive Butte Fire.
Sixty-five-year-old Mark McCloud was discovered in his Mountain Ranch home, Calaveras County coroner Kevin Raggio told the Associated Press. The second victim's identity is yet to be released, as authorities are waiting to notify the family.
The cause of the Butte Fire is under investigation, but the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection may have a lead. A tree possibly came into contact with a Pacific Gas & Electric power line, potentially sparking the blaze, the utility company said in a press release.
PG&E noted it is cooperating with CalFire, "We don’t know if a tree making contact with our line caused the fire. That will be the subject of the CAL FIRE investigation, and these types of investigations take time. We do know the people who lost their homes in this fire are our customers. The first responders fighting this fire are our partners. The State of California facing this terrible fire season is our home. And, as we learn about the two deaths that have occurred in the fire, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.
(PHOTOS: Wildfires Rage in California)
Meanwhile, authorities have deemed it safe for some evacuated residents to return to their neighborhoods and survey damage from the trio of northern California wildfires, but what they've found has been nothing short of complete destruction.
Residents like Don and Martha Grimm, who returned to the site where their ranch once stood, found the scene almost too much to bear. The couple, both in their 70s, held hands and cried as they trudged through the ashes that were once their ranch. Surprisingly, they learned their chickens, horses and llamas survived the fire, but 10 of their sheep died inside a barn.
"We didn't have a chance to react. It was here and we got out with the clothes on our back. All of our memories, everything is gone," Martha Grimm told the Associated Press.
The story was similar for many of the other 23,000 or so residents of several small towns that were given very little time to flee fast-moving wildfires that eventually claimed their homes. Teary-eyed residents searched far and wide for any possessions that weren't totally consumed by the fires, while others shared stories of survival as they escaped the flames.
Rancher Lisa Comstock and her three dogs survived the Valley Fire in Middletown by jumping into a water trough as the blaze closed in on her home. Unsure if she'd survive the ordeal, she continued to talk to her dogs and horses that had gathered nearby, trying to keep them calm.
"The flames were coming over that mountain and surrounding this place like there was no tomorrow," she told the AP. "I jumped in the water trough with all the dogs, and the horses came up around. Thank God they just stayed here.
"If this is how I go, I'm not leaving these animals. That's all I could think of."
Here's a brief update on each of the three major fires burning in northern California. You can find more information on each inferno in their own section below.
- Valley Fire: 70,200 acres burned; 720 homes destroyed; 7,650 structures threatened; 35-percent contained; 1 killed
- Butte Fire: 71,780 acres burned; 233 homes destroyed; 6,400 structures threatened; 47-percent contained
- Rough Fire: 140,760 acres burned, 67-percent contained
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Lake and Napa counties due to the effects of the fire.
Hot, dry weather will give way to a sharp drop in temperatures across California this week, bringing chances for welcomed rain showers but also a shift in wind directions for many areas.
Valley Fire
The Valley Fire in Lake County, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, exploded to 50,000 acres in less than 24 hours this weekend, according to CalFire."I'm in shock. I want to cry. I'm looking at my neighbors' places, and they're all gone, and I'm still here. We're just shaking our heads," homeowner Jim Maurer told the AP.
The blaze destroyed a historic 53-acre Cobb Mountain retreat Saturday. Hoberg’s Resort and Spa, founded in 1885, was decimated, according to a press release. “Our hearts go out to people who also suffered the incredible loss of their homes and businesses within our community,” the ownership and management lamented. “It is our goal to respect and stay true to the spirit of Hoberg’s."
(MORE: One Photo That Tells the Entire Story of California's Fires)
The fire broke out Saturday afternoon, charring nearly 40 square miles in several hours and chasing thousands of people from their homes.
Four firefighters suffered second-degree burns during the initial attack on the Valley Fire. They were hospitalized in stable condition, The AP added.
Current Fire Weather Conditions
"I'm looking in all directions, and all I see is fire," Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman told The Press Democrat. "This is unreal. ... This thing just blew up on us."
The small Middletown community suffered extensive damage and at least one school - Middletown Christian School - has been claimed by the flames, KGO-TV reported.
"The sound of the fire was that of a jet plane in flight. You could see fire advancing. It was incredible. We weren't evacuating carefully and cautiously, we were fleeing," Bob Rider, an evacuee, told KGO-TV. Rider, his wife, three young sons and dog escaped from their home in Hidden Valley Lake.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the communities of Cobb, Seigler Canyon, Loch Lomond, Riviera West, Clearlake Riviera, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lakes, CalFire said. Evacuations were also ordered for several roads in the area and evacuation centers have been set up at multiple locations.
Cal Fire reported more than 5,000 homes are without power due to the blaze. A Facebook page has been launched to help pet owners reunite with their lost animals.
Butte Fire
Meanwhile, the Butte fire has burned more than 71,700 acres to the southeast of Sacramento.Authorities say the wildfire started on Wednesday and has destroyed 233 homes in California's Gold Country.
(MORE: How You Can Help the Victims of These Fires)
Three-Day Forecast Highs
Officials reported more progress in battling the fire, saying it was 47-percent contained Wednesday night despite a thick layer of smoke that grounded air tankers and helicopters from flying all day Saturday.
California's emergency chief claims that this summer's fires are the most volatile he has seen in 30 years of emergency response work, according to the Sacramento Bee.
"I lost my business — it's all burned up — my shop, my house, 28 years of living," said Joe Thomas, who lives near the community of Mountain Ranch. "I got to start all over. It's depressing."
Thomas, who runs a tractor dealership and repair business, said he and his wife grabbed papers, his work computer, photos and their four dogs. But they left a goat, five ducks, six rabbits and more than 30 chickens behind.
"I turned the pens open and turned them loose. I just couldn't gather them up," he said. "All we want to do is go home. It's miserable."
In addition to the 233 homes destroyed, a damage-assessment team found that the fire burned 175 outbuildings and was threatening another 6,400.
Rough Fire
The Rough Fire continued to expand in the foothills east of Fresno, but not as quickly as it moved over the weekend.The fire, which was started by a lightning strike on July 31, had scorched more than 140,000 acres as of Wednesday night and was 67-percent contained.
(MORE: California's Wildfires, By the Numbers)
The Sacramento Bee reports that it is the largest active fire in the state and it has swept through areas containing several ancient sequoia trees, including the General Grant tree and the Boole Tree, which are the second and sixth largest in the world, respectively. Both are reported to be safe.
At 138,053 acres, the #RoughFire is now larger than the Cities of Fresno, Visalia, Clovis, and Hanford *combined*.
Some mandatory evacuations were lifted Wednesday morning in the Fresno area, according to InciWeb.
More than 3,700 firefighters are involved, one of which has been injured.
There are no reports of any homes destroyed in the Rough Fire.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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