From what I read on a 4x4 forum with a lot of members from the Camp Fire area they are expecting 100's of fatalities. What a terrible situation.
I saw a YouTube video of a guy, probably in his 60's, going back to check on his friends he was evacuating with. They were all dead in their burned out cars. Just burned skeletons. I can't imagine the terror of being in a car and getting burned to death.
Those videos of people escaping in their cars shocked me as well. I have fought A LOT of fire working in the bad part of Atlanta, but seeing people fleeing a wildfire in close to zero visibility conditions and then making it out and realizing it is day time and the sun is out surprised me.
I always tell people that structural firefighting is not like in the movies. In a structure fire you have ZERO visibility. You literally cannot see anything. I was unaware that a wildfire can cause almost the same lack of visibility.
My hat is off to the first responders as well. How those folks can work continuously, to the point of exhaustion, and keep going when many have lost everything themselves is a testament to their commitment and character.
After this thing is out those folks will need a lot of help. Many have just the clothes on their backs and maybe a vehicle. They have lost homes, possessions, jobs, businesses and in a lot of cases loved ones.
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