The catastrophic Camp Fire still burning

The death toll from the Camp Fire in Northern California increased Saturday to 76, while the number of people unaccounted for reached 1,276. The blaze is now 60 percent contained after consuming more than 149,500 acres.

In Southern California, just outside of Los Angeles, the Woolsey Fire is 88 percent contained after burning 96,949 acres. Dense smoke from the fires has been smothering parts of the state with what has been described as “the dirtiest air in the world.”

Firefighters have been racing against time. Firefighters issued a red flag warning, which is issued for weather events which may result in extreme fire behavior, Saturday night into Sunday. Winds up to 50 mph and low humidity are possible.

Rain is forecasted for mid-week, which could help firefighters but also complicate the challenging search for remains. “It’s a disheartening situation,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. “As much as I wish we could get through this before the rains come, I don’t know if that’s possible.”