LaRue shared news of the victims Sunday afternoon during a community meeting held at an elementary school north of Weed, the rural Northern California community charred by one of California’s last wildfires. He did not immediately provide names or other details, including the age or gender of the two people who died. “There’s no easy way to put it,” he said before calling for a moment of silence. Both LaRue and other officials acknowledged the uncertainties facing the community, such as when people will be allowed to return to their homes and power will be restored. About 1,000 people were still under evacuation orders on Sunday as firefighters worked to contain the blaze that had raged out of control on Friday at the start of the holiday weekend. The blaze, known as the Mill Fire, had not spread as of Saturday morning, covering about 6.6 square miles (17 square kilometers) with 25 percent containment, according to Cal Fire. But the nearby Mountain Fire grew in size Sunday, officials said. It also started on Friday, albeit in a less populated area. More than 300 people were ordered to evacuate. Power outages, smoky skies and uncertainty about what the day will bring left a feeling of emptiness in the city of Weed the morning after evacuation orders were lifted for thousands of other residents. “It’s eerily quiet,” said Susan Tavalero, a city councilor who was driving to a meeting with fire officials. She was joined by Mayor Kim Greene, and the two hoped to learn more details about how many homes had been lost. A total of 132 structures were destroyed or damaged, fire officials said Sunday, though it was unclear whether they were homes, businesses or other buildings. Three people were injured, according to Cal Fire, but no other details were available. Two people were taken to Mercy Medical Center Mount Shasta, Cal Fire Siskiyou Unit Chief Phil Anzo said Saturday. One was in stable condition and the other was taken to UC Davis Medical Center, which has a burn unit. It is unclear if those injuries are related to the deaths reported Sunday. Weed, home to fewer than 3,000 people about 280 miles (451 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco, is seen by passers-by as a whimsical place to stop along Interstate 5. But the town, nestled in the shadow of Mount Shasta, is is no stranger to fires. Phil Anzo, Cal Fire’s Siskiyou unit chief, acknowledged that wildfires have plagued the rural area in recent years. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen a lot of fires in this community, we’ve seen a lot of fires in this county and we’ve had a lot of damage,” Anzo said. Dominique Mathes, 37, said he’s had some close calls with wildfires since living in Weed. Although fire hazards are becoming more frequent, he is not interested in leaving. “It’s a beautiful place,” he said. “Everybody has hazards everywhere, like hurricanes and floods in Florida, Louisiana has tornadoes and all that. So, it happens everywhere. Unfortunately here, it’s fires.” Winds make Weed and the surrounding area a dangerous place for wildfires, fanning small flames into a frenzy. Weed has seen three major wildfires since 2014, a period of extreme drought that has caused the largest and most destructive wildfires in California history. That drought persists as California heads into what is traditionally the worst of the wildfire season. Scientists say climate change has made the West hotter and drier over the past three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. Crews battled the blaze as much of the state basked in a Labor Day weekend heat wave, with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in Los Angeles, unseasonably warm weather for the South California. Temperatures were expected to be even hotter through the Central Valley to the capital city of Sacramento. California’s Independent System Operator issued its fifth “flexibility notice,” a call for people to use their air conditioners and other appliances sparingly from 4 to 9 p.m. to protect the power grid.
Ronayne reported from Sacramento, California. Associated Press reporter Stefanie Dazio contributed from Los Angeles.
