In northern California on Sunday, sheriff’s investigators scoured wreckage left by the most destructive fire in state records, in search of remains of the dead. The death toll in and around the destroyed town of Paradise had reached 23 and seemed likely to climb. The toll for the state as a whole was 25, after two people were confirmed to have died near Los Angeles.

There, taking advantage of a break in dry winds on Saturday, fire crews battling the 83,275-acre Woolsey fire were able to achieve 10% containment, officials said. But on Sunday morning, Scott Jalbert, unit chief for the Cal Fire San Luis Obispo division, told reporters the weather was likely to worsen and that strong dry winds would cause new fires. “This has us very concerned,” he said. “We need to make sure all citizens are vigilant that they do nothing to start a new fire.” He added that more than 8,000 firefighters from various agencies were on the front lines.

“Everyone here, all state, federal and local firefighters, are doing everything they can to fight these fires,” he said. “Sadly with these winds it’s not over yet.” In the north, near Paradise, Butte sheriff Kory Honea said an anthropology team from California State University, Chico was assisting as in some cases “the only remains we are able to find are bones or bone fragments”. A mobile DNA lab was also on the way.(theguardian)…[+]