Nov. 21 (UPI) — Rainfall is expected to help some bring relief and potentially new hazards Wednesday as the Camp Fire continues to burn throughout northern California.
Cal Fire said the fire was 80 percent contained as of Wednesday morning, as fire officials expect the oncoming storm will help the nearly 4,000 fire personnel working to combat the blaze.
Jim Mackensen, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, told the San Francisco Chronicle fire crews will divert efforts to searching for victims while allowing the rain to naturally douse the fires.
Fire Capt. Joshpae White said the rain can increase the amount of moisture in the air and cool embers on the ground, but can also make conditions on the ground slippery and result in mudslides in areas where debris and loose soil are present.
Crews have traveled through Paradise in California’s Butte County to remove soggy debris and set up hay bales to divert the flow of rainfall.
The death toll in the 153,336-acre fire rose to 81, as the Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced the remains of two more people had been discovered.
The number of people unaccounted for also rose to 870 on Wednesday.
The Camp Fire is both the deadliest and most destructive fire in the state’s history having destroyed 13,503 residences and nearly 5,000 other buildings.
Another three people were killed in the Woolsey Fire, which Cal Fire said was almost fully contained as of Tuesday.
