California Wildfires 2017 Latest News Update: 15 Dead As Federal Aid Are Sent To The State
The latest string of wildfire in California came without warning, spreading into neighborhoods and killing at least 15 people with 180 still missing. Vice President Mike Pence recently arrived at the state promising aid from the federal government.
A total of 17 massive fires have already torched 115,000 acres of land, mostly in Northern California's wine country, destroying at least 2,000 homes and forcing 25,000 residents to evacuate. Officials expect the death tolls to rise as winds of up to 50 mph fan the flames across parched terrain loaded with tinder.
Residents will be allowed to their homes, at least those who still have them, once authorities are sure that there is no danger. However, this could take days or even weeks as gusts continue to complicate any effort to contain the blaze.
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Sonoma County bore the brunt of the disaster with nine confirmed casualties and about 240 people reported missing. As of Tuesday afternoon, 57 of those reported missing have been found according to the sheriff's office.
Fire crews got a bit of a reprieve when temperatures cooled down and wind speeds decreased to single-digit levels. According to assistant deputy director for Cal Fire Daniel Berlant, this has given them an opportunity to make progress on the fires.
Vice-president Mike Pence has arrived in California saying that the president has approved a major disaster declaration. This is after Gov. Jerry Brown wrote a five-page letter to the White House requesting federal aid.
In his letter, Brown wrote that an effective response to the wildfires is "beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments" and that federal assistance is necessary. The legislation, which will be considered in Congress next week, includes $576 million for wildfire suppression as well as aid the state in recovery efforts for the affected counties.
