'Unprecedented' Camp Fire's death toll rises again, to 48

Show Caption Hide Caption New dramatic video surfaces from deadly Camp Fire An antique building burns out of control in Paradise, California. As fire crews arrive on the scene, video shows the trucks dodging obstacles and debris from the wind-driven wildfire.

The death toll from the deadliest wildfire in California history rose to 48 on Tuesday night.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea announced the grim news during a press conference, acknowledging the "very, very difficult task" of trying to find bodies in charred homes could mean that residents will eventually be the ones to discover loved ones themselves.

"I know that's a very difficult thing to think about," Honea said, noting that anyone who discovers a fire victim should immediately notify his office.

The Camp Fire's destruction also grew, with the number of leveled structures up to 8,817 structures as of Tuesday night, officials said at the press conference.

Of those, 7,600 were single-family homes, while others housed multiple families and others were businesses or other types of structures.

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The news came as Honea announced he's asking for 100 extra National Guard troops to help handle the mayhem from the massive blaze.

Firefighters struggled throughout Tuesday to contain the Camp Fire, while bracing for continued fire growth with record levels of fuel dryness and availability. The mobile coroner's teams found the remains of the six additional victims inside homes in Paradise, a community of 27,000 people.

“This is an unprecedented event,” Honea said. “If you’ve been up there, you also know the magnitude of the scene we’re dealing with. I want to recover as many remains as we possibly can, as soon as we can, because I know the toll it takes on loved ones."

The fire had grown to 203 square miles and was 35 percent contained, Cal Fire said.

On Monday, Honea identified the first three of the victims of the Camp Fire as Ernest Foss, 65, of Paradise; Jesus Fernandez, 48, of Concow; and Carl Wiley, 77, of Magalia. A mobile DNA lab was set up to identify more victims.

"Forecasted low relative humidity and dry fuel moistures combined with steep rugged terrain will continue to impede control operations," Cal Fire warned.

While the cause of the fire was being investigated, Pacific Gas & Electric drew scrutiny after telling state regulators that it had been having a problem with an electrical transmission line in the area before the fire broke out. Cal Fire investigators were at the scene of the transmission line Monday. PG&E had no comment.

Cal Fire Chief Scott Jalbert, on scene at the Woolsey Fire west of Los Angeles, said drought conditions statewide have made the battles precarious for 9,000 firefighters engaging two fires.

"We are dealing with 30-foot brush and grass," he said. "Up in Northern California, they are dealing with 150 foot trees in addition to 30 foot brush. The fuel loading is just tremendous."

Flare-ups of the Woolsey Fire were reported Tuesday morning, causing large plumes of smoke to billow up above the area. The California Highway Patrol advised residents several communities near the flare-ups to be prepared to evacuate.

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The increased fire activity came as U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced he will visit California regions impacted by wildfires, including communities hit by the Woolsey Fire.

Conditions permitting, Zinke will visit areas affected by the Camp Fire in Northern California on Wednesday before traveling south to the Woolsey burn area on Thursday, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

President Donald Trump said late Monday he approved an expedited request for a major disaster declaration for the state.

The Woolsey Fire has been blamed for two fatalities. More than 430 homes, businesses and other buildings have been destroyed. The fire burned 151 square miles and was 40 percent contained. Its cause remains under investigation.

While the winds were expected to ease in Northern California, stiff winds were still forecast in the south. The winds drive down the humidity, helping turn vegetation to tinder in an area that hasn't seen rain in a month. Relief in the form of precipitation remains a week away, and the winds probably will stay a force into Wednesday, AccuWeather warned.

Four days after it started, Chief Daryl Osby, of Los Angeles County Fire Department, said progress against the Woolsey Fire was encouraging.

“(We’re) getting the upper hand here. …There is a lot of confidence as it relates to the containment and control of this fire. We’re feeling better. Our containment percentages have increased,” he said Tuesday at a news conference.

Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz and Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY; Alayna Shulman, Redding Record Searchlight; Ventura County Star; The Associated Press.