NorCal Fires: Death Toll Climbs to 17 as Families Search for 180 Missing

Wildfires raging across Northern California have killed at least 17 people, as hundreds of firefighters battle the flames and keep thousands of people away from the blaze's path.

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Todd McNeive, left, and his wife, Adelina McNeive, look for anything to salvage from the ruins of their home in the Fountaingrove Village neighborhood in Santa Rosa. (Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Most of the fires were ignited Sunday, driven by winds of more than 50 mph and dry conditions. With no rain in the forecast this week and a chance of gusts of 35 to 40 mph on Wednesday, forecasters say the weather will create challenges for firefighters.

More than 20,000 people had been ordered to evacuate as of Tuesday night and authorities were encouraging others to pack "ready-to-go bags" with documents and medicines, in case they had to flee the fast-spreading flames on a moment's notice.

"I think it would be one of the worst disasters in California history," Captain Mike Palacio with the California Highway Patrol said at a community meeting. "You gotta be patient. We are just trying to keep people alive."

Wildfires have burned more than 122,000 acres in California. The largest fires were burning in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties, filling the picturesque landscape of the state's wine country with charred rubble and clouds of smoke.

The White House said President Donald Trump has signed a major disaster declaration and fire management assistance grants for the state.

"The loss of homes and burning of precious land is heartbreaking, but the loss of life is truly devastating," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

At least 17 people have died since Sunday night. A total of 11 people died in Sonoma County, officials said.

Two of those who died were in Napa County, county spokeswoman Kristi Jourdan said. Charles Rippey, 100, and his wife, Sara, 98, died when a fire engulfed their home near the Silverado Country Club north of Napa, Jourdan said.

More than 100 people were being treated at Napa- and Sonoma-area hospitals for fire-related injuries or health issues, including burns, smoke inhalation and shortness of breath.

Scores missing

Families are frantically searching for more than 180 people who have been reported missing. Authorities believe communications issues are preventing many of those people from checking in with family.

Cathy Riordan is looking for her 28-year-old niece, Christina Hanson. Christina, who uses a wheelchair, lives in an apartment next to her father's house in Santa Rosa, California. The family hasn't heard from Christina since early Tuesday.

Her father, Michael Hanson, somehow made it to a hospital after suffering third-degree burns on over half his body. The family believes Christina's father may know what happened to her, but he's in a medically induced coma.

"I've called every hospital in the area," Riordan said. "I've called all of the shelters. I've called everybody that would take my call. I've called everywhere I can think."

"It looked like we were at war"

The biggest blaze, the Tubbs fire, has reduced cars and homes into burnt piles of ash and rubble in Santa Rosa, a city of about 175,000 roughly 50 miles northwest of San Francisco.

The fire has burned 27,000 acres and destroyed at least 571 structures, Cal Fire said Tuesday, making it one of the top 15 most destructive fires in recorded California history.

A large part of Santa Rosa was evacuated, including the Kaiser Permanente Hospital and Sutter Hospital, where patients emerged from the hospital with protective masks, some using walkers or wheelchairs.

The only thing that remained of Margaret Curzon's house was a concrete statue of the Virgin Mary. She and her parents lost almost everything when the wildfire destroyed their home.

Her mom woke up early Monday morning and smelled smoke, but thought it was the neighbor's barbecue or chimney, so she went back to sleep. They woke up again because their bichon frise dog, Brady, was whimpering.

Her father looked outside and his first thought was that there was some sort of bomb, or an attack.

"It looked like we were at war," Curzon said. "The sky was orange and there were embers falling from the sky."