Search teams with cadaver dogs seek fire victims
99 views · Published 26 November 2018 · 3:37 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(21 Nov 2018) With 79 people killed in the nation's deadliest wildfire in at least a century, there are still nearly 700 names on the list of those unaccounted for. While it's down from nearly 1,000 the day before, it is inexact, progress has been slow, and the many days of uncertainty are adding to the stress. Firefighters are scouring burned debris for signs of victims. We've had to employ over four hundred different search teams from various counties, even interstate partners as well," said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Rick Crawford. The More than a dozen people are marked as "unknowns," without first or last names. In some cases, names are listed twice or more times under different spellings. Others are confirmed dead, and their names simply haven't been taken off yet. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea has said he released the rough and incomplete list in hopes that people would contact authorities to say they are OK. He has called it "raw data" compiled from phone calls, emails and other reports. Meanwhile, those searching for bodies were in a race against the weather, as rain was forecast for Wednesday. The precipitation could help knock out the flames, but it could also hinder the search by washing away fragmentary remains and turning ash into a thick paste. The fire, which burned at least 236 square miles and destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, was more than 70 percent contained. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/3e803b1683399744d851cb885f03825d
