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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2018)
Page 8A NATION East Oregonian Tuesday, November 13, 2018 Dead in cars and homes: Northern CA fire toll at 29 By GILLIAN FLACCUS AND DON THOMPSON Associated Press PARADISE, Calif. — The dead were found in burned-out cars, in the smol- dering ruins of their homes, or next to their vehicles, apparently overcome by smoke and flames before they could jump in behind the wheel and escape. In some cases, there were only charred fragments of bone, so small that coroner’s investigators used a wire basket to sift and sort them. At least 29 people were confirmed dead in the wild- fire that turned the North- ern California town of Par- adise and outlying areas into hell on earth, equaling the deadliest blaze in state his- tory, and the search for bod- ies continued Monday. Nearly 230 people were unaccounted for by the sher- iff’s reckoning, four days after the fire swept over the town of 27,000 and practi- cally wiped it off the map with flames so fierce that authorities brought in a mobile DNA lab and foren- sic anthropologists to help identify the dead. Meanwhile, a landowner near where the blaze began, Betsy Ann Cowley, said she got an email from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. the day before the fire last week tell- ing her that crews needed to come onto her property because the utility’s power lines were causing sparks. PG&E had no comment on the email, and state officials said the cause of the inferno was under investigation. As the search for vic- tims dragged on, friends and relatives of the miss- ing called hospitals, police, shelters and the coroner’s office in hopes of learning what became of their loved ones. Paradise was a popular retirement community, and about a quarter of the popu- lation was over 65. Tad Teays awaited word AP Photo/Noah Berger Leveled residences line a block following the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif., on Monday. AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu Left: An air tanker drops water on a fire along the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway. Right: Firefighters battle a fire along the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway in Simi Valley, Calif., on Monday. on his 90-year-old demen- tia-stricken mother. Darlina Duarte was desperate for information about her half- brother, a diabetic who was largely housebound because he had lost his legs. And Barbara Hall tried in vain to find out whether her aunt and the woman’s husband, who are in their 80s and 90s, made it out alive from their retirement community. “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,” said Hall, adding that the couple had only a landline and calls were not going through to it. Megan James, of New- foundland, Canada, searched via Twitter from the other side of the continent for information about her aunt and uncle, whose house in Paradise burned down and whose vehicles were still there. On Monday, she asked on Twitter for someone to take over the posts, saying she is “so emotionally and mentally exhausted.” “I need to sleep and cry,” James added. “Just PRAY. Please.” The blaze was part of an outbreak of wildfires on both ends of the state. Together, they were blamed for 31 deaths, including two in celebrity-studded Mal- ibu in Southern California, where firefighters appeared to be gaining ground against a roughly 143-square-mile blaze that destroyed at least 370 structures, with hun- dreds more feared lost. Some of the thousands of people forced from their homes by the blaze were allowed to return, and authorities reopened U.S. 101, a major free- way through the fire zone in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Malibu celebrities and mobile-home dwellers in nearby mountains were slowly learning whether their homes had been spared or reduced to ash. All told, more than 8,000 firefighters statewide were battling wildfires that scorched more than 325 square miles, the flames feeding on dry brush and driven by blowtorch winds. In Northern California, fire crews still fighting the blaze that obliterated Par- adise contended with wind gusts up to 40 mph over- night, the flames jumping 300 feet across Lake Oro- ville. The fire had grown to 177 square miles and was 25 percent contained, authori- ties said. There were tiny signs of some sense of order return- ing to Paradise and also anonymous gestures meant to rally the spirits of fire- fighters who have worked in a burned-over wasteland for days. Large American flags stuck into the ground lined both sides of the road at the town limits, and temporary stop signs appeared over- night at major intersections. Downed power lines that had blocked roads were cut away, and crews took down burned trees with chain saws. The 29 dead in North- ern California matched the deadliest single fire on record, a 1933 blaze in Grif- fith Park in Los Angeles. A series of wildfires in North- ern California’s wine coun- try last fall killed 44 peo- ple and destroyed more than 5,000 homes. Our Quality Is Timeless. This Price Isn’t! Miracle-Ear Quality For $895. Why Wait? Hearing is believing! Right now, for a very limited time, you can get a fully digital, genuine Miracle-Ear® hearing aid for less than $900. This is one of our smallest, most discreet hearing solutions. Complete with Miracle-Ear sound quality, custom fitting and a comprehensive service and warranty program. Don’t wait, this special offer ends November 16th 2018. Experience the Brand America Trusts. Now Only $895! HURRY! Offer ends 11/16/18 Valid on model Audiotone® Pro CIC Valid at participating Miracle-Ear locations only. 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