Earthquake Strikes Wildfire Ground Zero in N Calif

M3.9 quake strikes 3km NW of Redwood Valley, California

The quake occurred at a v. shallow depth of 1.4km, USGS report (FEWW Heba-728F). The epicenter was at 39.285°N, 123.234°W, striking at 23:10:32 UTC on Friday.

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Wildfires Now the Deadliest in California History

35 People now confirmed dead, as cadaver dogs search smouldering ruins for more human remains.

Wildfires have destroyed an estimated 5,700 homes and businesses and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from their homes in N. California’s wine country.

The deadly blazes have claimed at least 35 lives as of Friday (PDT), and the death toll is expected to climb much higher. Hundreds of people are still missing including  200 people in Sonoma County.

The wildfires are now the deadliest in California history, surpassing the previous record of 29 deaths from the 1933 Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles.

Some 17 large wildfires have consumed nearly 222,000 acres (~ 90,000 hectares) across eight counties.

This year’s wildfire season is currently the third worst in the US history, with nearly 8.6 million acres charred, behind 2015 (9.3 million acres) and 2012 (8.9 million acres). The ten-year annual average (2006 – 2016) is 6 million acres, according to NIFC.

More sad news! As damage assessment continues, latest estimates that 5,700 structures have been destroyed by the wildfires burning across CA pic.twitter.com/f3djAANIQg

— CAL FIRE PIO (@CALFIRE_PIO) October 13, 2017

#RedwoodValleyFire [update] N of Ukiah (Mendocino Co) is 34,000 acres & 20% contained. #MendocinoLakeComplex https://t.co/2uhzbbqqsU pic.twitter.com/ht7iGeCVd9

— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) October 14, 2017