Woosley Fire – Sieglock Law | Christopher C. Sieglock A.P.C.

The “wall of fire” that destroyed Paradise, California

Update (2:45pm ET): Authorities have confirmed five deaths related to the fire. Fueled by high winds, the Camp Fire blazed rapidly spread the northern California town of Paradise yesterday (Nov. 8), burning over 70,000 acres and leading to the evacuation of the town’s 27,000 residents, plus thousands more in surrounding Butte County. As of writing, the fire is only 5% contained. A police officer who works in nearby Chico was quoted in the AP describing the blaze he encountered when trying to evacuate residents: “It was just a wall of fire on each side of us, and we could hardly see the road in front of us.” The AP recounted the terrifying scene as the fire accelerated towards the town: Residents described fleeing their homes and getting stuck on gridlocked roads as flames approached, sparking explosions and toppling utility poles. “Things started exploding,” said resident Gina Oviedo. “People started getting [...]

One of the California wildfires grew so fast it burned the equivalent of a football field every second

(CNN)The three main wildfires raging in California have expanded rapidly, devouring virtually everything in their paths. One fire burned an area equivalent to the size of a football field every second during a period Thursday into Friday. Intense winds and low humidity are feeding the flames. So is very dry vegetation, as much of California has seen gotten than 5% of its normal rainfall over the last month. Here are some other startling facts about the fires: CAMP FIRE The Camp Fire, which is burning in Butte County in Northern California, had grew by Friday to 70,000 acres. It had charred 20,000 acres Thursday in less than 14 hours. It grew by 5,000 acres Thursday in just three hours, according to Cal Fire, meaning it expanded by an average of more than one football field every 3 seconds during that period. The Camp Fire's most significant growth period [...]