Wildfire in California Leaves at Least 10 Dead

Reports indicate that a wildfire in parts of California on Monday, October 9, has left at least 10 dead. According to Reuters, with the spread of the wildfires, approximately 20,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. Jerry Brown, the governor of California, has declared a state of emergency in the Napa, Sonoma, and Yuba areas. Reuters states that these areas have extensive vineyards and are considered important wine-producing regions in California. However, the governor also declared a state of emergency in other areas including Orange County and several northern California regions on Monday evening. State officials and police report that at least seven people have died in the Sonoma wildfires and two in Napa. State officials have also announced that patients from two hospitals in Sonoma have been evacuated due to the spread of the fire. Reports indicate that thousands of firefighters are working to bring the extensive wildfire under control in eight regions of the state. Ken Pimlott, the director of the California Fire Department, stated in a press conference that at least 1,500 residential and commercial buildings have been destroyed by the fire, and tens of thousands of acres of vegetation and forest cover have been lost. In the same context, over 130,000 acres have burned in the extensive California wildfire.