Photographs from day two of the Camp Fire reveal the devastating results of what has become California’s most destructive fire in history. In a flash, more than 6,450 homes were destroyed. Nine people were killed when whirling flames from gale-force winds trapped them as they tried to flee.
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Dozens more people are still unaccounted for as the fire continues toward the outskirts of Chico in Butte County, forcing more than 50,000 evacuations and closing schools for an estimated two weeks.
Downed PG&E power lines, amid high winds, may have sparked the deadly Camp Fire, according to hours of firefighter radio transmissions reviewed by Bay Area News Group.
About 6:33 a.m. Thursday, firefighters were dispatched to a vegetation fire “under the high tension power lines” across the Feather River from Poe Dam, where Cal Fire officials have pinpointed the fire’s origin, according to the transmissions. The first firefighters arrived there at 6:43 a.m and noted the fire was being buttressed by 35 mph winds.
“We’ve got eyes on the vegetation fire. It’s going to be very difficult to access, Camp Creek Road is nearly inaccessible,” one firefighter told dispatch. “It is on the west side of the river underneath the transmission lines.”
Smoke from the fire cast an orange haze over Chico and wafted south to the Bay Area where it prompted health warnings and canceled high school football games. Officials expect the air quality to get worse Saturday.
By late Friday afternoon, low visibility at San Francisco International Airport was responsible for delaying about 300 flights, or 25 percent of the total volume of about 1,200, airport spokesman Doug Yakel said. The delays were averaging about 45-50 minutes, he said.
In addition, about 19 flights were canceled, but not necessarily because of the air quality. A similar number of flights are canceled every day, the spokesman said.
For an update on air quality conditions in the Bay Area, click here.
Bay Area News Group will continue coverage of the Camp Fire through the weekend, check back in for updates.
