California wildfire death toll rises to 36 as dangerous winds return

California wildfire death toll rises to 36 as dangerous winds return

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Nearly a week after flames began fanning across Northern California’s wine country, firefighters have made progress in containing the deadly wildfires even as high winds threaten to return and spark another round of conflagrations.

In an ominous Friday-afternoon bulletin, the National Weather Service warned that winds are expected to increase dramatically Friday night throughout Northern California, noting that the dangerous conditions will continue “at least through Saturday.”

An enormous swath of the state is under a red flag warning.

“If any new fires start, they could spread extremely rapidly,” the NWS said. Dangerous winds and extremely dry “fuels” on the ground “also could cause problems with the current wildfires and the firefighters trying to suppress them,” the NWS noted.

Even as the fire still burns across hundreds of acres, the horrific scale of death and destruction is coming into focus.

At least 36 people have been confirmed dead in four counties, many of them elderly, some burned to ashes. One victim was 14 years old.