Firefighters brace for incoming winds that may kick up deadly West Zone fire in North Complex

Sep. 13--The death toll in the wildfire raging in Butte County has risen to 12 and Cal Fire personnel battling the blaze are bracing for a change in winds that could lead to a return of extreme fire activity.

The destruction wrought by the West Zone of the North Complex Fire and other large wildfires burning across California, Oregon and Washington state is prompting President Donald Trump to meet with fire officials in Sacramento County on Monday for a briefing on their efforts to suppress the flames.

In total, the North Complex Fire has scorched more than 258,000 acres. The West Zone, formerly known as the Bear Fire, has burned 73,000 of those acres and devastated the community of Berry Creek, where many evacuees are now left homeless, their houses reduced to ashes. Cal Fire damage surveyors have said that at least 132 homes have been destroyed by the fire, though that number is sure to rise as more properties are evaluated. A total of 325 structures have been destroyed and 31 have been damaged.

Among the dead in the West Zone, two have been identified: one aged 16 and the other 77 years old. On Saturday, the remains of three people were found. Thirteen more people are still missing.

Firefighters have managed to contain the West Zone to 15% as of Sunday morning (26% containment for the entire North Complex), and reported minimal fire activity overnight. But weather forecasters and Cal Fire officials fear that incoming winds will whip up the fire even more as the fire runs up against the burn scars left by the Camp Fire two years ago.

The National Weather Service's Sacramento office predicted a pattern change in the atmosphere that will bring in southwest winds through Monday. The agency issued a fire weather watch for Monday, which was then upgraded to a red flag warning, warning of increased likelihood of additional fire starts and rapidly spreading flames.

Wind gusts could reach up to 35 mph that, coupled with low daytime humidity, has firefighters at the West Zone wary. The strongest winds will be present over the lower reaches of the Cascade mountain range, the northern Sierra Nevada and the surrounding foothills, which includes the West Zone.

"Gusty winds up to 30 mph will test containment lines," Cal Fire's Butte Unit wrote in a Sunday morning update. "Firefighters are prepping areas of the fire that will be impacted by the predicted south west winds coming in on Sunday and Monday over the fire area."

Sunday morning also brought new evacuation warnings in communities impacted by the fire. The Butte County Sheriff's Office warned residents in the area of Kramm -- between Table Mountain and Highway 70 north of Garden Drive -- to be prepared to leave due to the change in weather. The east side of Table Mountains remains under an evacuation order.

Using data from damage surveyors, Cal Fire released a new map that shows where buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the West Zone. This tool, which includes an address search function, allows evacuees to see if their home is still standing or in what condition it remains. The map can be viewed at bit.ly/west-zone-fire-damage-map.

Trump to get update in Sacramento

President Donald Trump will visit Northern California on Monday to be briefed on the West Zone and other wildfires that are burning from Fresno to the Oregon border and have charred more than 3 million acres.

The visit to McClellan Park just north of Sacramento will include local and federal fire officials responsible for battling the wildfires, said a White House spokesman. McClellan's airfield, a former Air Force base, is used by Cal Fire to organize wildfire response efforts

Although the president often criticizes California's wildfire response efforts and the forest management tactics, Gov. Gavin Newsom has reiterated Trump's commitment to helping the state behind the scenes.

"There's not phone call that I have made to the president where he hasn't quickly responded," the Democratic governor said last month. "He may make statements publicly, but the working relationship privately is an effective one."

While touring scenes of destruction near Oroville Friday, Newsom said he had spoken to the president for 30 minutes on Thursday to discuss the fires.

Last month, Trump declared California's wildfires a major disaster, promising aid for victims displaced by fires since Aug. 14.

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