As the wildfires continue to spread across California, 46 residents from Paradise are now feared dead after the town got destroyed in the inferno.
So far, officials have confirmed that eleven people are dead, with over 300,000 residents forced to evacuate their homes. President Trump has declared a state of emergency in the area.
60mph winds coupled with a record-breaking dry spell have caused the fires to spread far and wide.
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Dailymail.co.uk reports: Nine people from the town died including five who were burned alive in their cars as they attempted to flee down a wooded country road that was engulfed by flames.
Sheriff Kory Honea said: ‘The people in the cars weren’t able to get out. The flames overtook them.’
Another 35 people from the town are missing feared dead while more than 6,700 homes and businesses were incinerated. Paradise deputy mayor Greg Bolin said 90 per cent of the town had been razed to the ground. ‘It’s just ash and rubble,’ he said. ‘It’s been wiped out.’
Last night officials said only five per cent of the fires had been brought under control and warned the death toll would ‘almost certainly’ rise.
In Malibu, two people were reported dead last night. Stars including Lady Gaga, Cher, Martin Sheen, Gerard Butler and Mel Gibson were forced to leave their beachside homes in the area.
One Direction singer Liam Payne, 25, revealed the mansion he bought in Calabasas near Malibu for £10 million in 2015 is in the path of the fire.
He said last night: ‘I’m about to lose my house and its memories. Even worse, tragically, people have died.’
Sean Adl-Tabatabai
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