LOS ANGELES _ A record-shattering rash of wildfires is continuing to take a devastating and deadly toll on California, even as crews report some progress in their battle against the largest firestorm in modern state history.
The collective scale of the infernos that have scarred the state over the last month is staggering: at least 19 fatalities, tens of thousands of structures destroyed and more than 3.1 million acres burned _ the most recorded in a single year.
The loss has been most profound from the North Complex fire near Oroville in Butte County, which is now blamed for 10 deaths, placing it among the deadliest wildfires in state history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
An additional 16 people have been reported missing in the area of the fire, which has burned more than 252,000 acres and was 23% contained as of Friday morning.
Steve Kaufmann, a spokesman for the fire's response team, said Thursday that 2,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged, though that number may increase after crews further assess the area.
In the tiny community of Berry Creek, little was left but chimneys, washing machines and the smoking remains of cars and trucks.
Kendall Hill, 15, sat in a camp chair in a parking lot with his dad, helping friends give out free hot dogs and chips to exhausted first responders. Kendall fled his home in Berry Creek on Tuesday night, leaving before flames arrived. Fortunately, his home survived, but some of his family in the area lost theirs.
"It's sad," he said, exhaustion in his eyes. "Emotional."
A second death was confirmed Thursday near the community of Happy Camp in the burn area of the Slater fire, which has chewed through more than 136,000 acres in Siskiyou and Del Norte counties and across the border into Oregon. That blaze remains 0% contained.
Officials also saw further growth in the monstrous August Complex fire, already the largest in state history. That blaze has now scorched more than 491,000 acres in a remote area in and around Tehama County.
Abutting it to the north is the Elkhorn fire, burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests. It has charred 255,309 acres.
For a time, online reports had combined the Elkhorn fire statistics with the August Complex fire umbrella _ resulting in a mammoth merger listed at more than 746,000 acres.
But Kimberly Kaschalk, a public information officer for the August Complex response, said Friday morning that the combination was more a reflection of the unified command structure set up to manage all the blazes in the area, rather than an indication that the fires had physically combined.
"I'm sure a lot of people are spitting out their coffee this morning when they see that," she said.
The August Complex acreage figures were revised downward later in the morning.
The scope of this year's fire season has been both historic and horrifying. Six of the state's 20 largest wildfires have started in the past month or so, according to Cal Fire.
Within the last week, front-line firefighters have had to contend with a record-breaking heat wave and howling winds _ a noxious combination that fueled explosive fire growth statewide. However, officials say they have continued to gain ground amid improving weather conditions.
"The smoke layer covering much (of) Northern California will help maintain cooler temperatures into the weekend, and an onshore (air) flow next week will help increase humidity," Cal Fire officials wrote in a situation report Friday. "In Southern California, desert regions will remain dry and warm, with the mountains and coastal regions experiencing an onshore flow that is helping with humidity recovery and seasonal temperatures."
Though the near-term forecast is promising, officials warned that fire season is far from over. Roughly 14,800 firefighters are still battling 28 major wildfires burning statewide, according to Cal Fire.
"Unfortunately, with several more months of fire season to go, this number could continue to increase," Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said Thursday, referring to the number of acres burned.
There are signs of progress in some areas.
Officials are now reporting 6% containment on the Creek fire, which has burned almost 176,000 acres and destroyed an estimated 369 structures in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno.
The Bobcat fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above Monrovia is also now 6% contained. It has charred more than 26,000 acres.
The El Dorado fire near Yucaipa has burned almost 14,000 acres and is 31% contained as of Friday morning.
In San Diego County, the Valley fire near the Mexican border remains at 17,665 acres and is 39% contained, according to Cal Fire.
