Five deaths have been linked to the fires.Deep into its latest battle against ballooning wildfires, Northern California is facing another day under siege, with the huge blazes ripping
Five deaths have been linked to the fires, which have forced more than 60,000 people out of their homes, filled the skies with thick smoke and consumed hundreds of homes. More evacuation orders were issued on Friday, including along parts of the Russian River near Santa Rosa.
The fires, burning across more than 771,000 acres, were ignited by lightning during an extraordinary period of nearly 12,000 lightning strikes over several days, which caused about 560 fires, including nearly two dozen major ones. As flames raced toward homes this week, smoke worsened an already oppressive heat wave, lightning strikes sparked new fires, the electrical grid struggled to keep up with demand, and the coronavirus threatened illness in evacuation shelters.
At least four bodies were recovered Thursday, the authorities said, including three from a burned house in a rural area in Napa County and a man found in Solano County. On Wednesday, a helicopter pilot on a water-dropping mission died in a crash in Fresno County.
