SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Spread and activity have slowed for the Camp Fire, which grew by an additional 5,000 acres overnight, but the devastation continues to mount as search teams find more bodies.
The state's worst wildfire on record, the Camp Fire burning in Butte County remained 35 percent contained as of Wednesday's 7 a.m. Cal Fire incident report. It is now 135,000 acres _ about 211 square miles.
The official death toll increased Tuesday night to 48 after six bodies were found inside Paradise homes; the official total remained at that number as of Wednesday morning. It is already the deadliest wildfire in California history by a wide margin, having surpassed the previous high of 29 (Griffith Park Fire, 1933).
Search teams continue to comb through rubble and destroyed houses as hundreds remain unaccounted for, most of them from the city of Paradise, which has a population of about 27,000.
With nearly 9,000 structures destroyed _ 7,600 homes, 95 multiple residences, 260 commercial buildings and 859 "minor structures," according to Cal Fire's report _ the Camp Fire is also the most destructive wildfire in state history.
More than 5,600 firefighters are assigned to the Camp Fire. Wednesday morning's update says aircraft will drop retardant on the fire if weather and smoke conditions are calm.
Evacuation orders remain in place in Paradise, Magalia, Concow, Butte Valley and other Butte County areas. The latest evacuation information is maintained by Butte County Sheriff's Office on Twitter.
