Wildfire
Firefighters focusing efforts on preventing fire damage to farms in Touws River
One fire was sparked by lightning on Saturday on mountains between Worcester and Roberston.
The blaze broke out in several spots in the area. Some roads have subsequently closed to traffic.
The fire has been burning high in the mountains for a few days with most fire lines being inaccessible.
Remains of at least 71 people have been recovered in and around the small Sierra foothills town 280 km north of San Francisco. It was home to nearly 27,000 residents before it was largely incinerated by the blaze on the night of 8 November.
Wildfires have menaced villages and forests from Greece to the United States this summer, killing hundreds and displacing tens of thousands of people.
The fires have scorched states from Washington to New Mexico, with California among the hardest hit.
The scale of Monday night’s devastation in Mati became apparent at first light on Tuesday.
Government spokesperson Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said in a televised statement early Tuesday that the death toll exceeded 20 while more than 88 adults and 16 children were injured.
While fires are also raging in Russia, Norway and Finland, Sweden has seen the most extensive Arctic fires, which have forced four communities to evacuate, according to The Guardian.
The fire has forced about 1,500 people to evacuate, said Lieutenant Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities ordered residents in parts of Carpinteria and Montecito to leave early on Sunday as the Thomas Fire edged closer to Santa Barbara.
A video of a man saving a rabbit from a wildfire goes has gone viral, with the rescuer earning praise from thousands on social media.
Television footage showed abandoned villages with many houses in embers and charred vehicles left on the roads.
With 3,500 homes and businesses incinerated, the so-called North Bay fires also rank among the most destructive.
At least 20,000 people remained under evacuation as the fires raged largely unchecked for a third day.
About 1,500 homes and commercial buildings have been destroyed throughout the region, Ken Pimlott, director of CalFire, said at a news conference.
Seven people died and hundreds were left homeless when runaway fires broke out in the Eden District in June this year.
Vancouver-based EnGold Mines Ltd said it had suspended exploration in British Columbia, home to all of its operations.
That blaze, which broke out near Chimney Rock Road, was only 10 percent contained as of Monday.