Death Toll from California Wildfires Reaches at Least 31

Widespread wildfires in Northern California, which began on Sunday, have so far left at least 31 dead and destroyed thousands of homes. According to CNN, the extent of the wildfire in California has reached about 80,000 hectares, with more than 8,000 firefighters working to contain it. The report states that most firefighting efforts are focused on the cities of Sonoma and Santa Rosa, located 70 kilometers north of San Francisco. These areas, covered with vast vineyards, are considered the wine-making hub of America. Meanwhile, as the wildfires continue, significant numbers of missing persons have been reported. The Washington Post has stated that the number of missing persons in this area exceeds 450. Given that some areas are still either under fire or too hot to approach, it is expected that the current death toll of 24 will rise in the coming days. According to U.S. officials, more than 20,000 residents in the area have faced mandatory evacuation orders, and the risk of fire spreading to neighboring cities remains high. The wildfires in California, which started on Sunday night, have completely destroyed more than 3,500 homes by Thursday. The warm winds have made it very difficult to contain the fire. While some experts believe that the failure of electrical structures caused the initial sparks that quickly turned into widespread fires due to warm winds, the main cause of the fires has not yet been announced by responsible officials. California, which has struggled with drought for five years, witnessed severe storms and heavy rains last winter that uprooted dry trees. All of these factors contributed to the rapid increase in the extent of the wildfires. The devastating fire that occurred in 1991 in the hills around Oakland resulted in the deaths of 25 people, which was unprecedented in California's history. However, it appears that the recent wildfires will be deadlier. In this context, more than 130,000 hectares have burned in the extensive California wildfires.