Wednesday, November 21, 2018
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Light right falling today in some areas of Northern California could aid crews fighting a deadly wildfire while raising the risk of flash floods and complicating efforts to recover the remains of those killed.
Heavier rain was expected later in the day in the Paradise burn area, where a monstrous wildfire has killed at least 81 people and destroyed more than 13,000 homes.
Residents of communities charred by a Los Angeles-area fire stacked sandbags as they prepared for possible downpours that threaten to unleash runoff from hillsides left barren by flames.
Forecasters say rain expected over areas of Southern California burned by recent wildfires could cause mudslides and rock slides.
In Paradise, teams sifted through ash and debris as they searched for bodies about 140 miles northwest of San Francisco.
"The task is arduous," said Rick Crawford with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "And the possibility exists that some people may never be found."
Officials said nearly 870 people were still unaccounted for.
Precipitation could hinder the search by washing away fragmentary remains and turning ash into a thick paste.
Authorities trying to identify people killed are using rapid DNA testing that provides results in just two hours. The system can analyze DNA from bone fragments or other remains, then match it to genetic material provided by relatives of the missing.
The technology depends on people coming forward to give a DNA sample via a cheek swab.