Wildfires tearing through California wine country flared up again today. They’ve destroyed hundreds more homes and other buildings and led to new evacuation orders in Calistoga, Green Valley and the northern part of the town of Sonoma.
Authorities raised the death toll to 21 and warned that the number would rise. Also the Sonoma County Sheriff said the number of missing-persons reports has surpassed 600, up from about 200 yesterday, though they anticipate many of those people will be found because chaotic evacuations and poor communications over the past few days have made locating friends and family difficult.
At least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed since the wildfires started Sunday, making them the third deadliest and most destructive blazes in state history.
"There was one charred bench overlooking this vista of devastation, you could see not only the ashes, the rubble of the hotel, but right below that you can also see the Journey's End Mobile Home Park that was also devastated, all laid out before you. That was a really awful, sad way to start a morning." - Gaensler-Debs
KALW’s Ninna Gaensler-Debs shares more from Santa Rosa.
