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California wildfires: Death toll rises to 23

Twenty-three people are now reported dead after wildfires tore through California’s win country.

With humidity decreasing and winds getting stronger, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire said: “We are still not out of the woods. It’s a very serious situation.”

As many as 23 wildfires had been going at once, spreading so fast that firefighters were unable to bring them under control.

The UK Foreign Office warned Britons travelling to the area to follow the advice of local authorities after a state of emergency was called in Napa, Sonoma and Yuba.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of the death toll rising.

Evacuations are still underway with about 8,000 firefighters working across the state, along with 73 helicopters and 30 air tankers, according to Cal Fire.

 

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