More than 1,000 homes have been confirmed destroyed and the number likely will go higher as assessment continues in Lake County, 90 miles north of San Francisco.
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Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said the 118-square-mile wildfire damaged 1,780 structures as of Monday afternoon, making it the third-worst wildfire in state history, according to Napa Valley Patch.
Evacuees began flowing out of Calistoga with the gradual reopening of towns that had been off-limits as the wildfire spread to more than 75,000 acres, destroying more than 1,000 buildings along the way. In addition, mandatory evacuation orders will be lifted at noon Sunday for Hidden Valley Lake, Jerusalem Grade, Grange Road and Butts Canyon Road.
He said the exact economic cost “will take a long time to assess” and will include clearing debris, rebuilding homes and other structures, and reimbursing lost wages for residents displaced by the flames.
The letters seeking more funds – though an exact dollar figure was not mentioned – comes after Brown declared a state of emergency as a result of the Butte Fire on September 11 and the Valley Fire two days later. An evacuation center at the nearby Napa County Fairgrounds is housing about 500 people in tents and campers, he said. The fire 1,086-acre fire has destroyed 10 homes and was 30 percent contained Monday morning. In a usual year, the fires would have charred about 133 square miles.
“I was out fighting the fire on the other end, and then my whole place burned down”, Bob Eaton, a volunteer firefighter with the district, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Maria Vasquez, a house cleaner and mother, lost her apartment when it burned in the Valley Fire. “And my neighbours up on top, their place is burned down”.
The massive Valley Fire, already the sixth-most damaging fire in California history, continued to burn amid high temperatures Sunday as crews continue to build fire lines to bring it under control. Firefighting efforts have been aided by winds that have remained relatively calm, the newspaper said.
“This is a traumatic situation for them, so we just want to make sure we’re there for them to provide information and so they have a shoulder to cry on”, said Richard Cordova, Cal Fire captain.
More than 1,000 evacuated residents were allowed to return home on Sunday after the so-called Tassajara Fire was 50 per cent contained.
While one person died in the area of the fire, it’s unclear whether the person’s death occurred before or after the wildfire occurred, authorities have said.
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The Valley Fire has injured four firefighters and killed three civilians, while more missing citizens are still being located.
