he wildfire raging in Northern California is now the deadliest in state history.
At least 42 people are dead and 228 people still missing in the Camp fire, which left the town of Paradise and surrounding areas in ashes, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told reporters on Monday night.
The fire, Honea said, is the deadliest single fire on wildlands in California’s history. That grim title had previously been held by the Griffith Park fire of 1933, which left 29 dead.
The Camp fire, which has destroyed more than 7,000 structures, is also the most destructive fire in California’s recorded history.
“I’ve seen a lot of fire, but this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” retired firefighter Dan McCard told CBS News of the devastating blaze. “The winds were so high. It was incredible.”
California has been struggling to contain wildfires raging on both ends of the state. In Ventura County, at least two people have been killed in the Woolsey and Hill fires.
President Donald Trump on Monday approved a major disaster declaration for California. The declaration will help the tens of thousands of people affected by the wildfires get access to additional federal funding and other resources.