Southern California’s wildfire roars back to life again, prompts new evacuations

Just when it seemed things were finally starting to calm down, Southern California’s huge wildfire has roared back to life again.

A massive plume rose suddenly in the Santa Monica Mountains on Tuesday morning, prompting new evacuations at the same time thousands of residents are being allowed back in their neighborhoods. 

Authorities sent aircraft to drop retardant and water on the new blaze as it broke out near the community of Lake Sherwood.  

Forecasters had warned of continuing fire danger in Southern California due to persistent Santa Ana winds, the withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes. 

Just when it seemed things were finally starting to calm down, Southern California’s huge wildfire has roared back to life again as a massive plume suddenly rose from the Santa Monica Mountains (pictured) on Tuesday 

The blaze has prompted new evacuations at the same time thousands of residents are finally being allowed back into their neighborhoods after the Woolsey Fire first ignited on Thursday 

The blaze has prompted new evacuations at the same time thousands of residents are finally being allowed back into their neighborhoods after the Woolsey Fire first ignited on Thursday 

The new flare-up broke out around 9.15am and burned through 50 acres in its first 30 minutes, according to Cal Fire San Louis Obispo. 

Authorities believe the flare-up was caused by what are known as ‘red flag conditions’, in which low humidity and high winds combine to make the prefect conditions for a wildland fire combustion. 

‘It’s critically dry with incredibly strong winds, so that really puts us back into a day where we could see rapid fire spread as a result of any new fires or flare-ups,’ Cal Fire Division Chief Chris Anthony told the Los Angeles Times. 

Thankfully firefighters were already in a nearby area and quickly responded to the newest blaze. 

Dangerous high winds of 25 to 40mph are expected to last until Wednesday afternoon, and could peak at 55mph on Tuesday afternoon. A red flag warning will remain in effect in the region until 5pm on Wednesday.   

Officials said their most recent assessments indicated that the Woolsey Fire tore through 96,000 acres – larger than the size of Denver.

It has destroyed 435 structures – a number that is expected to rise – and 57,000 structures remain under threat.   

As of Tuesday morning the blaze was 35 percent contained, with full containment expected Thursday.

It was unclear how many people remained under evacuation orders, though at one point the number hit about 250,000. Authorities were expected to disclose details later Tuesday at a news conference.

The dry, gusty winds were expected to blow through Wednesday, although not quite as furiously as last week. 

Winds, coupled with higher average annual temperatures, tinder-dry brush and a lack of rain in recent years, make the ‘perfect ingredients’ for explosive fire growth around the state, said Chris Anthony, a division chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire has burned more than 80 percent of National Parks Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, officials said.

Fire officials lifted evacuation orders early Tuesday in all or parts of about five communities in Ventura and Los Angeles counties – including the star-studded Hidden Hills, Calabasas, and Malibu. 

Authorities sent aircraft to drop retardant and water on the new blaze as it broke out near the community of Lake Sherwood

Authorities sent aircraft to drop retardant and water on the new blaze as it broke out near the community of Lake Sherwood

Forecasters had warned of continuing fire danger in Southern California due to persistent Santa Ana winds, the withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes

Forecasters had warned of continuing fire danger in Southern California due to persistent Santa Ana winds, the withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes

But large, populated areas remained off-limits and authorities warned residents of those areas to stay out, saying there were hazards including downed power lines, embers that could re-ignite, buckled roads, and lack of power and communications.   

In Northern California, the first five victims of the Camp Fire – now the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history – were identified.   

The official death toll in Northern California’s Camp Fire has climbed to 42 after local authorities revealed that the remains of another 13 people were found on Monday.

Ernest Foss, 63, of Paradise, and Jesus ‘Zeus’ Fernandez, 48, of Concow, were identified as friends and family paid tributes to them on social media.

Carl Wiley, 77, of Maglia, and Ellen Walker, in her 70s, of Concow, were also killed in the deadly blaze. Family members of Lolene Rios, 58, have also identified her as another victim in Paradise. 

The Camp Fire now also ranks as the most destructive fire on record in California, having leveled more than 7,100 homes and other buildings since it erupted on Thursday and tore across 125,000 acres. It is currently 30 percent contained.  

Ernest Foss, 63, has been identified as one of the victims of California's Camp Fire

Jesus 'Zeus' Fernandez, 48, also perished in the flames

Ernest Foss, 63, of Paradise (left), and Jesus ‘Zeus’ Fernandez, 48, of Concow (right), both died in the Camp Fire in California

Family members of Lolene Rios, 58, (right) have also identified her as another victim in Paradise. Her husband Rick Rios, 69, (left) barely made it out of their home alive 

Family members of Lolene Rios, 58, (right) have also identified her as another victim in Paradise. Her husband Rick Rios, 69, (left) barely made it out of their home alive 

Northern California's Camp Fire has become the deadliest wildfire in state history as the death toll climbs to 42. A body is recovered from the Ridewood Mobile Home Park on Monday

Northern California’s Camp Fire has become the deadliest wildfire in state history as the death toll climbs to 42. A body is recovered from the Ridewood Mobile Home Park on Monday

Butte County Sheriff Cory Honea revealed that the remains of 13 additional people were located on Monday. Honea said 10 human remains were located in Paradise. Seven of those were found in homes and three outside. A body is recovered in Paradise, California 

Butte County Sheriff Cory Honea revealed that the remains of 13 additional people were located on Monday. Honea said 10 human remains were located in Paradise. Seven of those were found in homes and three outside. A body is recovered in Paradise, California 

A member of the Sacramento County Coroner's office looks for human remains in the rubble of a house burned at the Camp Fire in Paradise on Monday 

A member of the Sacramento County Coroner’s office looks for human remains in the rubble of a house burned at the Camp Fire in Paradise on Monday 

This map shows the location of the Camp, Hill and Woolsey fires in California. In total, 44 people have died in the blazes

The other three remains were found in the Concow area, two were outside homes and one was inside a home. Charred remains of mobile homes are seen in Paradise

The other three remains were found in the Concow area, two were outside homes and one was inside a home. Charred remains of mobile homes are seen in Paradise

Honea said his team is working to identify the remains and notify the next of kin as soon as possible. A member of the Sacramento County Coroner's office looks for human remains in the rubble of a house burned in Paradise

Honea said his team is working to identify the remains and notify the next of kin as soon as possible. A member of the Sacramento County Coroner’s office looks for human remains in the rubble of a house burned in Paradise

Butte County Sheriff Cory Honea said the remains of 10 people were located in Paradise. Seven of those were found in homes and three outside.The other three remains were found in the Concow area, two were outside homes and one was inside a home. 

Honea said his team is working to identify the remains and notify the next of kin as soon as possible. 

Paradise is a popular retirement community with a quarter of the population there over the age of 65. 

Rios and her husband Rick, 69, had both relocated in Paradise after losing their home to another fire in Concow in the 1990s.

The retired couple, like many in the town, only found out about the blaze when it was too late. 

Rick went on the roof of the couple’s home when he saw their neighbor’s house on fire, hoping he could still save their house by taking out any spot fires. 

Coroner search teams, many accompanied by a chaplain, have fanned out across Paradise, visiting dozens of addresses that belong to people reported missing since last week's explosive blaze 

Coroner search teams, many accompanied by a chaplain, have fanned out across Paradise, visiting dozens of addresses that belong to people reported missing since last week’s explosive blaze 

Authorities were bringing more resources in to find the dead - two mobile morgue units and dozens of additional search and rescue personnel 

Authorities were bringing more resources in to find the dead – two mobile morgue units and dozens of additional search and rescue personnel 

When a body is found, a call goes out, yellow police tape goes up - and the blue body bag arrives. In many cases, there is almost nothing left 

When a body is found, a call goes out, yellow police tape goes up – and the blue body bag arrives. In many cases, there is almost nothing left 

Honea said authorities have brought in 13 special search-and-recovery teams to seek out any further victims from the Camp Fire, and have requested additional cadaver-dog crews (pictured) to assist in the search for human remains

Honea said authorities have brought in 13 special search-and-recovery teams to seek out any further victims from the Camp Fire, and have requested additional cadaver-dog crews (pictured) to assist in the search for human remains

What appears to be figurines from a Christmas nativity scene is seen resting atop a scorched car in Paradise

What appears to be figurines from a Christmas nativity scene is seen resting atop a scorched car in Paradise

A fallen power line is seen on top of burnt out vehicles on the side of the road in Paradise, California after the Camp fire tore through the are

A fallen power line is seen on top of burnt out vehicles on the side of the road in Paradise, California after the Camp fire tore through the are

Sheriff Honea (pictured) said the number of people listed as missing in the disaster remained officially at 228, but added that his office had received more than 1,500 requests for 'welfare checks' from people concerned about the fate of their loved ones

Sheriff Honea (pictured) said the number of people listed as missing in the disaster remained officially at 228, but added that his office had received more than 1,500 requests for ‘welfare checks’ from people concerned about the fate of their loved ones

Rios went to the basement as she began gathering the family’s dogs. In moments, the house was up in flames. 

Rick was rescued by firefighters who pulled him off the roof. He is now recovering in the hospital with severe burns on his hands and face, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

‘My dad is in a lot of pain,’ Maria Rios said. ‘He keeps saying, ‘I have no skin, no skin’. As soon as he heard my voice, he broke down. He kept saying, ‘Everything is gone. Everything is gone.” 

Ernie Foss Jr’s daughter, Angela Loo, said her family is devastated by his death. 

Foss, a music teacher, had moved to Paradise eight years ago to escape the rising costs in San Francisco.

He had advanced lymphedema and could not walk. He was found outside his home on the street with his dog Bernice.    

Carl Wiley will be buried next to his wife in a cemetery in Magalia, which was also devastated by the Camp Fire.

James Wiley said his father, a former tire recapper for Michelin, will share a headstone with his wife Mary Lee, who died of cancer nearly three decades ago. 

Honea said over the weekend that the devastation is so complete in some neighborhoods that ‘it’s very difficult to determine whether or not there may be human remains there’.

‘In some cases, the only remains we are able to recover are bones or bone fragments,’ Honea said, adding that these were so small that coroner’s investigators used a wire basket to sift and sort them.

Honea said the number of people listed as missing in the disaster remained officially at 228, but added that his office had received more than 1,500 requests for ‘welfare checks’ from people concerned about the fate of their loved ones. 

Authorities have set up a rapid DNA analysis system and brought in cadaver dogs and mobile morgue units from the military in an intensified effort to find and identify victims. They have also requested 150 additional search-and-rescue personnel.  

Cafe tables and umbrellas stand idle as the remains of Mama Celeste's Gastropub and Pizzeria lies in ruins after wildfires devastated the area in Paradise, California

Cafe tables and umbrellas stand idle as the remains of Mama Celeste’s Gastropub and Pizzeria lies in ruins after wildfires devastated the area in Paradise, California

‘It’s like a war zone’: Gerard Butler films the devastation surrounding his smoldering California home

Gerard Butler filmed the devastation around his smoldering neighborhood just a day after a horrifying California wildfire tore through the area.

Butler, whose home was destroyed, was driving around Point Dume on Saturday when he captured the destruction his community in two videos.

‘It’s like a war zone,’ Butler tells viewers as he surveys the area destroyed by the Woolsey blaze. ‘Every house after a certain point is gone.’

Gerard Butler

Butler filmed the devastation around his smoldering neighborhood just a day after a horrifying California wildfire tore through the area

Gerard Butler filmed the devastation around his smoldering neighborhood just a day after a horrifying California wildfire tore through the area

‘What a difference a day can make to a community,’ the actor says as he walks into a backyard of a home. 

Butler shared the videos on Instagram on Monday afternoon.  

‘My heart aches for all those who lost their homes and their lives in California. A lot of people lost everything and will have to rebuild from scratch,’ he wrote in the caption. 

‘I am ok and so grateful for all of the well wishes,’ Butler said before encouraging others to donate to a GoFundMe account that has been set up to help people across California affected by the fires. 

Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, and Camille Grammer Meyer of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills were among those whose Malibu homes were destroyed in the Woolsey fire.

Butler, whose home was only partially destroyed, was driving around Point Dume on Saturday when he captured the destruction in two videos

Butler, whose home was only partially destroyed, was driving around Point Dume on Saturday when he captured the destruction in two videos

'It's like a war zone,' Butler tells viewers as he surveys the area. 'Every house after a certain point is gone'

‘It’s like a war zone,’ Butler tells viewers as he surveys the area. ‘Every house after a certain point is gone’

'What a difference a day can make to a community,' the actor says as he walks into a backyard of a home. Butler shared the videos on Instagram on Monday afternoon

‘What a difference a day can make to a community,’ the actor says as he walks into a backyard of a home. Butler shared the videos on Instagram on Monday afternoon

Gerard Butler's home is seen in ruins on November 12 after being destroyed by the Woosley Fire in Malibu, California

Gerard Butler’s home is seen in ruins on November 12 after being destroyed by the Woosley Fire in Malibu, California

 

‘I want to recover as many remains as we possibly can, as soon as we can. Because I know the toll it takes on loved ones,’ Honea said on Monday night. 

Chaplains accompanied some coroner search teams that visited dozens of addresses belonging to people reported missing. 

The searchers use a grim calculus at each scene: No cars in the driveway was a considered a good sign, one car a little more ominous and multiple burned-out vehicles more reason for worry. 

When a body is found, a call goes out, yellow police tape goes up – and the blue body bag arrives. In many cases, there is almost nothing left. 

The long bag looks almost empty as it’s carefully carried out of the ruins and placed in a black hearse. 

As the Camp Fire continues to rage, it is blanketing the Bay Area in massive amounts of smoke that have led to an increase in flight delays at San Francisco Airport due to reduced visibility.

The airport is currently experiencing an average of 30 minute delays as of Tuesday morning, according to SFO spokesman Doug Yakel. Flights were delayed around 60 to 90 minutes on Monday.   

The 42 confirmed fatalities marks the largest loss of life ever from a single wildland fire in California, Honea said.

It also far surpasses the all-time record number of deaths from a California wildfire – 29 in 1933 from the Griffith Park blaze in Los Angeles.

Authorities reported two more people perished over the weekend in the Woolsey Fire. The victims from the died in their car while trying to flee. Together, the Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire are blamed for 44 deaths statewide.

Earlier on Monday, two new wildfires broke out in Southern California.  Pictured is the Peak fire on California State Route 118

Earlier on Monday, two new wildfires broke out in Southern California. Pictured is the Peak fire on California State Route 118

The California Highway Patrol has since closed part of the 118 freeway as firefighters worked to fight back against the blaze 

The California Highway Patrol has since closed part of the 118 freeway as firefighters worked to fight back against the blaze 

The area covered by the Woolsey fire is shown in red on the right, while the Hill fire is in red on the left. Celebrities affected by the fire include: 1) Gerard Butler, whose house was partially destroyed; 2) Miley Cyrus, house destroyed; 3) Robin Thicke, house destroyed; 4) Lady Gaga, who has been evacuated; 5) Will Smith, evacuated; 6) Simon Cowell, evacuated

The area covered by the Woolsey fire is shown in red on the right, while the Hill fire is in red on the left. Celebrities affected by the fire include: 1) Gerard Butler, whose house was partially destroyed; 2) Miley Cyrus, house destroyed; 3) Robin Thicke, house destroyed; 4) Lady Gaga, who has been evacuated; 5) Will Smith, evacuated; 6) Simon Cowell, evacuated

On Monday, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for California at the request of Governor Jerry Brown, hastening the availability of federal emergency assistance to fire-stricken regions of the state.

Trump’s announcement came just days after he was criticized for his initial response to the raging wildfires. 

‘There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,’ Trump said in a series of tweets on Saturday.

‘Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!’

Brown had asked the president over the weekend to declare a major disaster to bolster the emergency response and help residents recover.

The major-disaster declaration from Trump will make victims eligible for crisis counseling, housing and unemployment help, and legal aid.

Brown told a press briefing that federal and state governments must do more forest management but said that’s not the source of the problem.

‘Managing all the forests everywhere we can does not stop climate change,’ Brown said. ‘And those who deny that are definitely contributing to the tragedies that we’re now witnessing, and will continue to witness in the coming years.’ 

Brown warned that it would take ‘hundreds of billions’ of dollars to continue to fight California’s growing number of wildfires and blamed climate change for ‘threatening our whole way of life’. 

‘This is not the new normal,’ he said. ‘This is the new abnormal.’ 

On Monday, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for California at the request of Governor Jerry Brown, hastening the availability of federal emergency assistance to fire-stricken regions of the state

On Monday, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for California at the request of Governor Jerry Brown, hastening the availability of federal emergency assistance to fire-stricken regions of the state

The fires have spread with an erratic intensity that has strained resources and kept firefighters struggling to keep up with the flames while catching many residents by surprise.

 Trump's announcement (pictured) came just days after he was criticized for his initial response to the raging wildfires

 Trump’s announcement (pictured) came just days after he was criticized for his initial response to the raging wildfires

The remains of some of the Camp Fire victims were found in burned-out vehicles that were overrun by walls of fire as evacuees tried to flee by car in panic, only to be trapped in deadly knots of traffic gridlock on Thursday night.

‘It was very scary,’ Mayor Jody Jones recounted of her family’s own harrowing escape from their home as fire raged all around them.

‘It took a long time to get out. There was fire on both sides of the car. You could feel the heat coming in through the car,’ she told CNN. Jones said her family is now living in their mobile home parked in a vacant lot.

Honea said authorities have brought in 13 special search-and-recovery teams to seek out any further victims from the Camp Fire, and have requested additional cadaver-dog crews to assist in the search for human remains.

A mobile DNA lab and anthropologists are also on site to help identify victims.

Earlier on Monday, two new wildfires broke out in Southern California.

Firefighters were already battling the Woolsey fire and the Hill fire when two new blazes suddenly sparked.

The Lynn fire broke out in Thousand Oaks, which is still reeling from a horrific mass shooting that took 12 lives last week. 

The Lynn fire broke out in Thousand Oaks, which is still reeling from a horrific mass shooting that took 12 lives last week. Pictured is a map showing the area where the fire has broken out 

The Lynn fire broke out in Thousand Oaks, which is still reeling from a horrific mass shooting that took 12 lives last week. Pictured is a map showing the area where the fire has broken out 

Smoke from the initial three California wildfires have been so intense that they even reached the metro Detroit area by Monday as it stretched across the US (pictured) 

Smoke from the initial three California wildfires have been so intense that they even reached the metro Detroit area by Monday as it stretched across the US (pictured) 

It burned five acres as of Monday morning but the Ventura County Fire Department said the threat to nearby structures was ‘diminishing’ as firefighters were able to ‘get a handle’ on the flames, according to the LAist. 

By 11.45am officials said surrounding homes were not under threat and that the fire was holding.   

Meanwhile, a new blaze dubbed the Peak fire was seen burning right by the 118 Freeway in Simi Valley. It was reported around 10.30am and at least 105 acres have been burned. 

Fire crews said they stopped forward progress of the flames around 1pm. 

People could be seen turning their cars around and driving the wrong way on the freeway to get away from the smoke and flames. The California Highway Patrol temporarily closed part of the 118 Freeway as firefighters worked to contain the flames. 

Two water-dropping helicopters and a firefighting airplane were spotted at the scene and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department initially issued evacuation orders for nearby residents. 

An air tanker drops water on a fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley, California on Monday

An air tanker drops water on a fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley, California on Monday

The fires have spread with an erratic intensity that has strained resources and kept firefighters struggling to keep up with the flames while catching many residents by surprise

The fires have spread with an erratic intensity that has strained resources and kept firefighters struggling to keep up with the flames while catching many residents by surprise

The remains of some of the Camp Fire victims were found in burned-out vehicles (pictured) that were overrun by walls of fire as evacuees tried to flee by car in panic, only to be trapped in deadly knots of traffic gridlock on Thursday night

The remains of some of the Camp Fire victims were found in burned-out vehicles (pictured) that were overrun by walls of fire as evacuees tried to flee by car in panic, only to be trapped in deadly knots of traffic gridlock on Thursday night

The search for victims, both human and non-human, continued on Monday in Paradise

The search for victims, both human and non-human, continued on Monday in Paradise

A wildfire-ravaged property is seen Monday in Malibu. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby says he expects further damage assessments to show that hundreds more homes have been lost on top of the 370 already counted

A wildfire-ravaged property is seen Monday in Malibu. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby says he expects further damage assessments to show that hundreds more homes have been lost on top of the 370 already counted

A horse evacuated by members of the Humane Society of Ventura County from an area affected by a wildfire in Malibu

A horse evacuated by members of the Humane Society of Ventura County from an area affected by a wildfire in Malibu

The inside of a car that was completely incinerated as the Woolsey fire burned through Malibu over the weekend 

The inside of a car that was completely incinerated as the Woolsey fire burned through Malibu over the weekend 

Several animal rescue volunteers have also risked their lives saving dozens of animals. A burned cat waits for animal control to arrive after they were called by responders who discovered it near Bille Road in Paradise, California on Sunday 

Several animal rescue volunteers have also risked their lives saving dozens of animals. A burned cat waits for animal control to arrive after they were called by responders who discovered it near Bille Road in Paradise, California on Sunday 

Smoke from the initial three California wildfires have been so intense that they even reached the metro Detroit area by Monday. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association maps showed smoke from the wildfires stretching across the US. 

Officials said that smoke is expected to stay present in Detroit until around 7pm, according to WXYZ.   

Firefighters put out a red weather alert late in Southern California on Sunday, fearing high Santa Ana winds could reach up to 50mph and keep fanning the flames into Wednesday – making things worse before they get better.

Huge plumes of smoke rose in the fire area, which stretches miles from the northwest corner of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley to the Malibu coast. 

‘Sadly, with these winds, it’s not over yet,’ Scott Jalbert, chief of Cal Fire’s San Luis Obispo Unit, said Sunday morning.  

Two water-dropping helicopters and a firefighting airplane were spotted at the scene trying to fight back the new blaze

A helicopter drops water on brush burning near Pepperdine University as  the Woolsey Fire continues to burn in Malibu on Monday morning

A helicopter drops water on brush burning near Pepperdine University as the Woolsey Fire continues to burn in Malibu on Monday morning

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said approximately 600 officers would be 'saturating evacuated areas' on patrol for looters and to 'ensure the protection of residents and their properties'. A sign in the area read: 'Welcome 2 Point Dume. Looters get bullets. Fireman get HUGS

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said approximately 600 officers would be ‘saturating evacuated areas’ on patrol for looters and to ‘ensure the protection of residents and their properties’. A sign in the area read: ‘Welcome 2 Point Dume. Looters get bullets. Fireman get HUGS

When the Camp Fire struck near Paradise on Thursday morning, 27,000 people tried to flee the town on roads that were quickly blocked (pictured, a downed power line stops traffic) or else clogged with cars

When the Camp Fire struck near Paradise on Thursday morning, 27,000 people tried to flee the town on roads that were quickly blocked (pictured, a downed power line stops traffic) or else clogged with cars

Journeys that should have taken minutes ended up taking hours, with dozens of people telling how they jumped out of the cars and ran, carrying whatever they could

Journeys that should have taken minutes ended up taking hours, with dozens of people telling how they jumped out of the cars and ran, carrying whatever they could

Gerard Butler, Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, and Camille Grammer Meyer of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ were among those whose Malibu homes were destroyed in the Woolsey fire.

Meanwhile the Kardashian clan, Simon Cowell, Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Martin Sheen were among other those who had to evacuate the star-studded Malibu and Calabasas areas.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said approximately 600 officers would be ‘saturating evacuated areas’ affected by the Woolsey fire to patrol for looters and to ‘ensure the protection of residents and their properties’. 

A sign in the area read: ‘Welcome 2 Point Dume. Looters get bullets. Fireman get HUGS.’  

Los Angeles County has also advised all residents to stay indoors as much as possible and keep windows and doors closed due to unhealthy air quality and exposure to ‘ash, soot, and small particles’. 

New footage emerged on Monday that showed panicked residents of the town trying to escape Paradise as the roads became blocked with traffic.  

Evacuations were hindered by the fact that Paradise is a popular retirement community, meaning many residents are elderly and struggle to move

Evacuations were hindered by the fact that Paradise is a popular retirement community, meaning many residents are elderly and struggle to move

Medics at the Feather River Hospital in Paradise were given just 20 minutes to clear all the patients out before the fire arrived

Medics at the Feather River Hospital in Paradise were given just 20 minutes to clear all the patients out before the fire arrived

At least seven people burned to death inside their vehicles while trying to escape from Paradise on Thursday as 27,000 people packed on to a four-lane road – the only route out of town that wasn’t blocked.

Survivors sat in miles-long tailback as flames licked at their car doors, while others jumped out and ran, carrying pets and valuables. 

Greg Woodcox who led a caravan of vehicles that was overcome by flames from a wildfire says he saw his friend die.

CALIFORNIA FIRES BY THE NUMBERS 

– 42 people have died in Northern California’s Camp fire 

– 2 people have died in Southern California’s Woolsey fire 

– 228 people are still missing 

– 7,000 structures have been damaged

– 57,000 structures still remain under threat 

– 149,000 people still under evacuation order

– 8,000 firefighters on the front lines 

Woodcox said Monday that he heard his friend scream as the heat blew out windows. Four other people in the vehicles died. Woodcox said he was too exhausted to talk more by phone.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, the 58-year-old said he was in a Jeep ahead of the other vehicles and ran when the flames overtook them.

He said he followed a fox to a path down a steep embankment, and he survived by submerging himself in a stream for nearly an hour.

Nichole Jolly, 34, a nurse at the hospital in Paradise, said she attempted to flee in her truck before being rammed into a ditch by another motorist trying to get out.

She climbed out of her truck and tried to get into another, but the handles had melted off, so she ran up the road as her pants leg caught on fire.

‘I’m breathing in the hottest air I’ve ever been in. My throat is bloodied, I’m about to hit the ground but the bottom of my shoes were melting,’ she told NBC.

‘I put hand out in front of me and prayed to God, ‘Please, don’t let me die like this.” 

She did eventually make it to a fire truck, where the crew told her to ‘brace yourself because we might not make it’.

It was only after a bulldozer arrived to clear the road that the truck, and Jolly, were able to escape. 

Sheriff Honea said that finding human remains is proving difficult, as many bodies have been reduced to little more than bone fragments. Sgt Nathan Lyberger of the Yuba County Sheriff Department is seen preparing a bag to remove human remains 

Sheriff Honea said that finding human remains is proving difficult, as many bodies have been reduced to little more than bone fragments. Sgt Nathan Lyberger of the Yuba County Sheriff Department is seen preparing a bag to remove human remains 

Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers are seen loading a body into a hearse in Concow, California 

Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers are seen loading a load a body into a hearse in Concow, California 

University of Nevada Reno archaeology students recover human remains in a mobile home park in Paradise on Sunday

University of Nevada Reno archaeology students recover human remains in a mobile home park in Paradise on Sunday

Meanwhile Lauri Kester, a caretaker for the elderly, told the New York Times that it took an hour to drive just three miles on Thursday as the fire advanced.

Eventually, a police officer running past told Kester to abandon her vehicle and make a break for it. She grabbed her dog Biscuit and ran. 

‘It was hot, it was smoky and – this sounds like such an exaggeration, but – it was apocalyptic,’ she said. 

Wendell Whitmore, 62, was another of those who tried to flee Paradise in his car, but was forced to make a break for it on foot as the situation became desperate.  

California’s Camp Fire melts aluminum in cars 

The raging Camp Fire became so hot as it passed through Northern California that it melted aluminum in cars. 

Photos showed aluminum flowing from the melted wheels of burned-out vehicles outside of homes in Paradise. 

If aluminium is involved in a fire and the temperature rises to above its melting point, the metal begins to melt. 

The melting point for aluminum is 1,221 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The raging Camp Fire became so hot as it passed through Northern California that it melted aluminum in cars

The raging Camp Fire became so hot as it passed through Northern California that it melted aluminum in cars

Photos showed aluminum flowing from the melted wheels of burned-out vehicles outside of homes in Paradise. If aluminium is involved in a fire and the temperature rises to above its melting point, the metal begins to melt. The melting point for aluminum is 1,221 degrees Fahrenheit

Photos showed aluminum flowing from the melted wheels of burned-out vehicles outside of homes in Paradise. If aluminium is involved in a fire and the temperature rises to above its melting point, the metal begins to melt. The melting point for aluminum is 1,221 degrees Fahrenheit

He told the Sacramento Bee: ‘There were flames to the left of me and flames to the right. The flames were up in the trees, all the houses were on fire.

‘The fire was three feet from my car. The rubber around the windows was melting. That’s when I decided to get out.’ 

Barbara Hall has been calling shelters and the sheriff’s office hoping to find out whether her aunt, Arlene and her husband Paul Bickel made it out of their home in a retirement community in Paradise.

So far, Hall has had no luck. Her relatives are in their 80s and 90s and Hall isn’t allowed into Paradise to see if their car is in front of a house that may no longer be standing. 

The first victim identified over the weekend was an ailing woman whose body was found in bed in a burned-out house in Concow, near Paradise. Ellen Walker, who was in her early 70s, was home alone when the fire struck on Thursday, according to Nancy Breeding, a family friend

The first victim identified over the weekend was an ailing woman whose body was found in bed in a burned-out house in Concow, near Paradise. Ellen Walker, who was in her early 70s, was home alone when the fire struck on Thursday, according to Nancy Breeding, a family friend

Pieces of crumbling wall and a chimney is all that remains of this house which was gutted in the Camp Fire

Pieces of crumbling wall and a chimney is all that remains of this house which was gutted in the Camp Fire

Some cars never made it off the driveway before being consumed by the flames, which have also destroyed 6,500 buildings

Some cars never made it off the driveway before being consumed by the flames, which have also destroyed 6,500 buildings

Game warden finds wife’s wedding ring while in the rubble of their home destroyed by the Camp Fire 

When the fire broke out in Paradise, state Fish and Wildlife warden Jake Olsen was one of many law enforcement agents who rushed to a retirement home to evacuate the infirm. 

He crammed three patients into his pickup, and his partner rode under a fire blanket in the bed with a fourth patient.

Meanwhile, the Paradise home where he and his wife and four children lived burned to the ground. So did Olsen’s parents. And his wife’s parents’ home is gone, too. 

Fish and Wildlife warden Jake Olsen found his wife's wedding ring while sifting through the rubble of their destroyed home in Paradise

Fish and Wildlife warden Jake Olsen found his wife’s wedding ring while sifting through the rubble of their destroyed home in Paradise

His sister-in-law’s Paradise home was also destroyed.

On Saturday, his colleague helped him sift through the rubble and found his wife’s wedding ring.

‘It’s just amazing,’ he said, describing how he started digging. ‘I just didn’t think we were going to find it, but we had to try.’

His wife told him where she left her ring in their bedroom, and that’s where it was found next to his gun locker containing guns melted in the fire.

A few minutes later, she called to check in and he tearfully told her the good news. 

'It's something,' he said with a sad smile. His wife told him where she left her ring in their bedroom, and that's where it was found next to his gun locker containing guns melted in the fire

‘It’s something,’ he said with a sad smile. His wife told him where she left her ring in their bedroom, and that’s where it was found next to his gun locker containing guns melted in the fire

Hall asked: ‘Did they make it in their car? Did they get away? Did their car go over the edge of a mountain somewhere? I just don’t know.’

She said she was making phone calls with her daughter’s mobile phone from nearby Redding, where her daughter lives. The couple only had a landline, which had phone numbers programmed into it, and calls to it don’t go through.

Hall says her aunt’s parents adopted her father when he was a boy and that she is like a big sister to her.

Jody Jones, mayor of Paradise who previously worked as a traffic specialist in LA, said the town did put together an evacuation plan after a fire tore through in 2008.  

The plan called for Paradise to evacuate neighborhood by neighborhood, and they even practiced it last year, but it fell to pieces within moments on Thursday. 

‘I don’t know that you could build the infrastructure to evacuate an entire town that quickly,’ she said. ‘I just don’t know if that’s possible.’

The Rocklin Police Department, which was called on to assist Butte County with the Camp fire, also shared a chilling video of the area’s destruction over the weekend. 

Officers filmed apocalyptic scenes that showed dozens upon dozens of burned-out cars, buses, and trucks, and residential streets that had been completely leveled by the fire.    

The fire originated on Camp Creek Road near Highway 70 around 6.30am on Thursday. 

Firefighters were dispatched to a vegetation fire in the area ‘under the high tension power lines’ at 6.33am. 

Firefighters immediately realized that the blaze would be hard to access, and that the flames were being fanned by 35mph winds. 

Betsy Ann Cowley, who owns land near where the deadly wildfire started in Northern California, said Monday that Pacific Gas & Electric Co sought access to her property just before the blaze started because the utility’s power lines were causing sparks.

PG&E has said it experienced a problem on an electrical transmission line near the site of the massive fire, minutes before the blaze broke out. 

The fire started on 64 acres of land in Pulga, California, owned by Cowley.

Cowley said she received an email from the utility on Wednesday telling her that crews needed to come to her property to work on the high-power lines because ‘they were having problems with sparks’.

PG&E declined to discuss the email.

Two days before the fire started, PG&E told customers in nine counties, including Butte County, that it might shut off their power November 8 because of extreme fire danger. 

The remains of a house can be seen in Westlake Village, near Thousand Oaks, after the Woolsey Fire swept through Sunday

The remains of a house can be seen in Westlake Village, near Thousand Oaks, after the Woolsey Fire swept through Sunday

This was the scene in Westlake Village, in California, on Sunday. The suburb is located in Thousand Oaks, just a few miles from where last week's mass shooting took place

This was the scene in Westlake Village, in California, on Sunday. The suburb is located in Thousand Oaks, just a few miles from where last week’s mass shooting took place

Firefighters work to extinguish a flare-up of the Woolsey Fire on a hillside in West Hills, California on Sunday afternoon

Firefighters work to extinguish a flare-up of the Woolsey Fire on a hillside in West Hills, California on Sunday afternoon

Men ‘dressed as US Forest Service workers’ are arrested for suspected looting in devastated Paradise  

Suspected looters who appeared to be impersonating US Forest Service workers have been arrested in Paradise, California.

The town of Paradise has been nearly decimated by the Camp fire, which has already taken 42 lives. 

But it appears some were hoping to take advantage of the devastating tragedy.

Men who were dressed in bright yellow jackets similar to those worn by US Forest Service workers were arrested in the fire zone on Saturday night.  

Suspected looters who appeared to be impersonating Forest Service workers were arrested in Paradise, California on Saturday night. One is pictured here 

Suspected looters who appeared to be impersonating Forest Service workers were arrested in Paradise, California on Saturday night. One is pictured here 

Men who were dressed in bright yellow jackets similar to those worn by US Forest Service workers were arrested in the fire zone

Men who were dressed in bright yellow jackets similar to those worn by US Forest Service workers were arrested in the fire zone

Authorities said the men may have worn the jackets to gain access to the evacuated area, according to CBS San Francisco. 

Police have not disclosed what the men were trying to steal. 

There have been 53 reports of suspected looting in the scorched area. 

And law enforcement have confirmed that the Camp fire has sparked a crime wave in Butte County.  

Authorities said the men may have worn the jackets to gain access to the evacuated area

Authorities said the men may have worn the jackets to gain access to the evacuated area

Police have not disclosed what the men were trying to steal. There have been 53 reports of suspected looting in the scorched area

Police have not disclosed what the men were trying to steal. There have been 53 reports of suspected looting in the scorched area

Sheriff Kory Honea promised on Saturday that looting suspects would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

‘If we discover looting and evidence of looting, we will investigate,’ he said during a press conference on Saturday. 

‘And even if we don’t catch you there, we will investigate to determine if we can identify you and make an arrest.’ 

As of Sunday night, Honea said the department had received 66 additional calls about ‘suspicious incidents’ – including looting – in the area. 

But the utility company called off the shutdown, telling customers nine hours after the Camp Fire began that the weather conditions ‘did not warrant this safety measure’.  

The cause of the fire remains under investigation but CalFire spokesman Scott McLean said ‘electric equipment’ was being included in the probe.   

Gerard Butler was among those celebrities able to return to their homes on Sunday after being evacuated, only to find it destroyed. Pictured is what is left of his Malibu home 

Gerard Butler was among those celebrities able to return to their homes on Sunday after being evacuated, only to find it destroyed. Pictured is what is left of his Malibu home 

Robin Thicke's home was also completely destroyed by the fire, leaving nothing more than a pile of rubble and ash behind

Robin Thicke’s home was also completely destroyed by the fire, leaving nothing more than a pile of rubble and ash behind

Aerials show the extent of damage inflicted on Thicke's mansion, which he shares with girlfriend April Love Geary 

Aerials show the extent of damage inflicted on Thicke’s mansion, which he shares with girlfriend April Love Geary 

And hopes that the weather will aid the battle against the fire remain low.

‘In terms of the overall long-range (forecast), there is no significant precipitation or cooldown,’ National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Walbrun told the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday. 

‘The forecast remains dry and unseasonably warm through the rest of the week and through the weekend at this time.’    

The California Department of Forestry and Protection expanded its red-flag warning through Monday due to the ‘gusty winds and low humidity’.   

Officials say fire behavior has changed statewide after years of drought and record summer heat that have left vegetation extremely crisp and dry.

Miley Cyrus also took to Twitter on Sunday to reveal that her home had been destroyed

Miley Cyrus also took to Twitter on Sunday to reveal that her home had been destroyed

The ground at the home of Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth still smolders after the Woolsey Fire in Malibu

The ground at the home of Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth still smolders after the Woolsey Fire in Malibu

Miley's dog statue (pictured) could be seen with smoke coming from the ground next to its feet from the blaze 

Miley’s dog statue (pictured) could be seen with smoke coming from the ground next to its feet from the blaze 

Camille Grammer also revealed on Sunday that she had lost her home (pictured on Monday), saying it 'couldn't be saved'

Camille Grammer also revealed on Sunday that she had lost her home (pictured on Monday), saying it ‘couldn’t be saved’

Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson also lost his home in the blaze this weekend. He posted photos of what was still left standing on Saturday 

Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson also lost his home in the blaze this weekend. He posted photos of what was still left standing on Saturday 

‘Things are not the way they were 10 years ago…the rate of spread is exponentially more than it used to be,’ said Lorenzen, urging residents to not put their lives at risk by trying to defend their own homes instead of evacuating.

That change has impacted the ability to move firefighting resources around the state, officials said.

‘Typically this time of year when we get fires in Southern California we can rely upon our mutual aid partners in Northern California to come assist us because this time of year they’ve already had significant rainfall or even snow,’ said Osby, the LA County fire chief.

With the devastation and loss of life in the Northern California fire, ‘it’s evident from that situation statewide that we’re in climate change and it’s going to be here for the foreseeable future,’ he said.

FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICEMEN SAVE AMERICAN FLAGS IN DECIMATED TOWNS 

In a town almost completely destroyed by the deadliest fires in California’s history, a firefighter was able to save an American flag. 

The firefighter was captured on video walking through the destroyed town of Paradise with the Stars and Stripes this weekend. 

He makes sure to hold the tattered but intact flag above the ground until he finds a mailbox standing in front of a decimated house.  

A firefighter was captured on video rescuing an American flag in the decimated town of Paradise,

The firefighter was seen lifting the flag through the town's rubble-covered streets

A firefighter was captured on video rescuing an American flag in the decimated town of Paradise, California this weekend 

The firefighter then gently drapes the flag over the mailbox, tying two of its strings together to secure it. 

Footage of the firefighter has since been shared by CBS News and quickly went viral. 

Many found the video to be especially moving as it was released on Veterans Day.  

The firefighter was then seen gently draping the flag over the mailbox in a touching tribute 

The firefighter was then seen gently draping the flag over the mailbox in a touching tribute 

He took two of the flags dangling strings and tied them together to secure it to the mailbox 

He took two of the flags dangling strings and tied them together to secure it to the mailbox 

It was also a touching tribute to a town that has been almost completely wiped out by the Camp fire, which has killed 42 people.  

Two hours south of Paradise, in the city of Elk Grove, police came upon another patriotic scene. 

Every house in the street had been leveled by the Camp fire. Nothing had been left standing, except for a flag pole.

And flying on top of that pole was a flag in almost perfect condition. 

Elk Grove Police said they secured the flag and wrote down the address of the home, hoping they can one day return the flag to its rightful owners. 

Two hours south of Paradise, in the city of Elk Grove, police came upon an American flag still standing on a street where every house had been destroyed 

Two hours south of Paradise, in the city of Elk Grove, police came upon an American flag still standing on a street where every house had been destroyed 

Nothing had been left standing, except for a flag pole and the flag (pictured) which was still in almost perfect condition 

Nothing had been left standing, except for a flag pole and the flag (pictured) which was still in almost perfect condition 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk