Northern California Wildfires Latest: 23 Dead; Thousands Of Structures Destroyed; 'Pure Devastation'

The deadly wildfires raging in Northern California have left at least 23 people dead and at least 180 people injured in the wake of what fire officials are calling "pure devastation" since they sparked late Sunday night. The death toll is expected to rise as residents return home to check on friends and family. Hundreds of missing persons reports have been filed since Sunday. The massive fires have been fueled by dry weather and howling winds, devastating the region and charring tens of thousands of acres. The fires continued to burn Thursday in Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yuba, Butte, Nevada, Calaveras, Mendocino and Fresno counties.

On Monday, California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Sonoma, Napa and Yuba counties because of the fires. And on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared a major disaster exists in California and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires.

The National Weather Service Bay Area has issued a red flag warning for the fire-ravaged area through Thursday night. Temperatures dropped mercifully, and the winds temporarily died down on Tuesday, but the smoke and ash in the air still lingered as a sad reminder of the devastation left in the by the flames that burned out of control in many areas. Thousands of structures, including businesses and homes, have been lost, and thousands of residents remain evacuated Wednesday morning. When they are allowed to return home, many of the 4,400 evacuees will learn that nothing remains.

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Many of those who are at home are without electricity. A total of 249,000 customers were initially blacked out by the wildfires burning across Napa and Sonoma counties, according to PG&E. The electric company estimates thousands of customers in the Bay Area still have no power. State Farm has received roughly 700 homeowner insurance claims and an additional 150 auto insurance claims as of Tuesday morning because of damage from the North Bay wildfires.

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Thousands of firefighters, police officers and relief workers from all over the state have been deployed to help with the firefighting efforts. The California Highway Patrol has performed more than 40 helicopter rescues in Napa and Sonoma counties.

On Monday, the stifling smoke blanketed the Bay Area caused panic among residents. The air has not been safe to breathe for almost three days, prompting officials to issue daily smoke advisories. Many schools have been closed and sports practices have been canceled due to the heavy smoke. Residents in the East Bay area have been spotted wearing fabric masks in an effort to keep from breathing in the smoke particles. The smoke can be seen from space. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!)

Here are the latest need-to-know facts:

• Cal Fire officials said as many as 23 people have died, and many were seriously injured in the fires. One victim was reported in Mendocino County on Monday. Five more have been discovered in that county. Two people have died in Yuba County. Two victims died in the Atlas fire in Napa County. Thirteen people are confirmed dead in the Sonoma County fire area. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has fielded 530 missing person reports, with at least 150 of those people now accounted for.
• In the North Bay, the Tubbs Fire stretching from Calistoga to Santa Rosa has reportedly reached 27,363 acres in size and 10-percent contained as of Wednesday evening. Fire officials estimate the Atlas fire, which has now spread to Solano County, has burned 42,349 acres and was 3-percent contained. The Carneros Partrick fire in Napa County has charred about 9,523 acres and was 2-percent contained, while the Pocket Fire near Geyserville was 4,000 acres The Nuns Fire in Sonoma County has consumed 7,626 acres and was 2-percent contained. According to Cal Fire, new fires reported Wednesday in Sonoma County included: the 473-acre Pressley Fire east of Rohnert Park; the 1,831-acre Norrbom Fire east of Boyes Hot Springs; and the 8,202-acre Adobe Fire near Kenwood. Facebook has created a page for those in the affected areas to check in to let friends and family know they are safe.
• Sonoma County officials reported that Sutter Hospital and Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Santa Rosa are no longer operational. Patients have been evacuated.
• Looting is a concern in hard-hit Santa Rosa and its neighboring Sonoma County communities, where more than 20,000 residents remain evacuated. In Santa Rosa, where entire neighborhoods have been razed, police have implemented a nightly curfew and say violators will be prosecuted. Sonoma County Sheriff's officials say no one is being allowed into its evacuated areas. California National Guard troops, military police and law enforcement from neighboring Bay Area communities are on the ground helping enforce the curfews, conduct evacuations and provide security and helping hands at evacuation centers and elsewhere.
• At least four Napa Valley wineries have been destroyed or significantly damaged during harvest season.
• The Salvation Army has served nearly 3,500 meals since Tuesday to those affected by wildfires in Sonoma and Napa counties. They will continue to provide meal service throughout the day.

SEE ALSO: Calif. Fire Summary, Map, Stats: 115,000+ Acres Burn In 17 Major Blazes Are Sparked In 1 Day

Also See: Body Found In Rubble Of Burned California Home

Four fires raging in Butte and Yuba counties have burned thousands of acres and prompted hundreds of evacuations, Cal Fire officials said. Officials said one person died after crashing on a road along the Cascade fire area. The Yuba County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is investigating a report of another body found inside a home on Douglas Way in Loma Rica.

• The Cherokee fire, which started in the area of Cherokee Road and Zonalea Lane in Oroville, has burned 8,360 acres and is about 45 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
• The La Porte (Wind Complex) fire in Bangor has burned 3,700 acres and is 15 percent contained.
• The Cascade fire (Wind Complex) in Yuba County, which started late Sunday morning, has burned 12,349 acres and is about 20 percent contained.
• Another small fire started Monday afternoon in Butte County. The Honey fire has burned about 150 acres in the area of Honey Run Road and Merlin Lane, southwest of Paradise and is about 30 percent contained.

In Nevada County, the McCourtney and the Lobo fires ripped through the area, with a new Garden Fire breaking out in the area.

• The McCourtney Fire burned through 72 acres and was at 65 percent containment, CalFire said Tuesday afternoon.
• The Lobo Fire, meanwhile, was at 30 percent containment after destroying 880 acres.
• The Garden Fire burned 10 acres and containment was at 60 percent Tuesday afternoon, with forward progress stopped.

In Mendocino County, the Redwood Complex fires have consumed 32,000 acres as of Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The fire is about five percent contained. Six people have died.

In Fresno County, a new fire broke out Wednesday night. The Silver Fire, which started just before 4 p.m. is burning in the area of Elwood Road and Silver Lane. The fire has burned about 50 acres so far. Mandatory evacuations are underway on Highway 180 and Silver Lane.

Elsewhere in the state, a brush fire that ripped through the Anaheim Hills area of Southern California on Monday has burned 8,000 acres and is 40 percent contained as of Wednesday.

See Also:

• Atlas Fire Crests Ridge Into Solano County; Evacuations Under Way
• Sonoma County Fires: More Residents Told To Evacuate
• Napa County Fires: More Evacuations Ordered
• Fresno County Fire: Evacuations Underway
• Devastation: 2 Die In Napa Complex Fire, 9 In Sonoma Co. Fires
• Wildfires Cause 'Unprecedented Levels' Of Air Pollution In Bay Area
• Napa Fires: Wine Country Begins To Assess Damages, Economic Impacts
• Mill Valley Fire Chief Loses Home In Santa Rosa Fire
• East Bay Firefighters Deploy To North Bay
• Garden Fire: Spread Thwarted On New Blaze In Nevada County
• 3 Killed In Mendocino Lake Complex Firestorm
• Butte, Yuba County Wildfires Latest: 2 Dead; Firefighters Make Progress
• Napa, Sonoma County Wildfires Risk 172,000 Homes, Analysts Find
  

Photo: This aerial image shows homes that were destroyed by a wildfire in Santa Rosa, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. Newly homeless residents of California wine country took stock of their shattered lives Tuesday, a day after deadly wildfires destroyed homes and businesses. (Nick Giblin/DroneBase via Associated Press)