Aerial view of an incinerated neighborhood in Paradise, California, on 15 November 2018. Photo: Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images

16 November 2018 (CBS) – The number of people missing in California’s wildfires has soared to over 600, and the death toll has risen to 66. In the “Camp Fire” in Northern California, 631 people were unaccounted for after officials on Thursday added more than 500 names of people reported missing.Hundreds of others are living in tent cities with no idea when they’ll be able to return home. Members of the Paradise community held a town hall meeting Thursday night to begin the long road to recovery with many signing up for FEMA relief.The town suffered some of the worst damage from the “Camp Fire” — the deadliest in the state’s history. In Southern California, evacuation orders have been lifted in Malibu, where firefighters were still working to contain the “Woolsey Fire.””I lost everything that I received from my mom, from my grandparents from the baby grand piano to china,” Ilene Mickens told CBS Los Angeles. “I lost my wedding album. I lost my children’s baby albums.” […]

Three deer walk past a destroyed home on Orrin Lane after the wildfire burned through Paradise, California, on Saturday, 10 November 2018. Not much is left in Paradise after a ferocious wildfire roared through the Northern California town as residents fled and entire neighborhoods are leveled. Photo: AP

Officials held a press conference Thursday night with the latest details about the Camp Fire in Northern California. The Butte County sheriff said seven additional human remains were found earlier, bringing the total dead from the Camp Fire to 63 (statewide 66).They said a total of 11,862 structures have been destroyed by the Camp Fire, including homes.A FEMA official said anyone affected by the Camp Fire needs to register so they can receive assistance.An official with the California Highway Patrol said looters will be prosecuted.The CHP said road/highway conditions can be found online at the Butte County website. They said some 165 cars have been cleared from roadways.The Butte County sheriff’s office announced a total of 631 have been listed as “unaccounted” — a jump in the past 24 hours. The list can be found here. [more]

Number of people missing in California wildfires passes 600