Seven more deaths reported in California North Complex Fire

Seven more people have died in the North Complex Fire in California’s Butte County, bringing the death toll to 10, while 16 people remain missing, officials said on Thursday evening.

According to a Thursday update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the North Complex Fire, which is burning across Butte, Yuba and Plumas counties, has covered 247,358 acres (1,000 square km) with 23 percent containment.

The fire has burned more than 2,000 structures, devastating several communities including Berry Creek and Feather Falls, while still threatening others, including Oroville and Paradise. More than 22,000 structures are still in danger, Cal Fire said.

The massive August Complex Fire raging in the Mendocino National Forest is now the largest blaze in the state’s history. As of Thursday, the fire has burned 471,185 acres, overtaking the 2018 record set by the Mendocino Complex fires, which burned about 459,000 acres. Six of California’s top 20 largest fires have occurred this year, according to Cal Fire.