Officials Search For Missing In Northern Cal Wildfires 

(Santa Rosa, CA)  —  The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is trying to whittle down a list of about 200 missing persons reports since wildfires began scorching Northern California’s Wine Country.

Sheriff Robert Giordano says of 240 reports filed so far, 57 people have been found safe.  He confirmed nine of 15 deaths from wildfires in the state occurred in his county.

There are 25 evacuation centers established and the sheriff’s office is trying to link people with families and friends.  He said cell phone coverage is spotty and people may have evacuated without chargers, making communication difficult. The sheriff said the most important thing is to keep people safe and that his department is working to get people back in their homes as soon as possible.

Smoke rises as a wildfire burns in the hills east of Napa, Calif., Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. Wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through Northern California sending residents on a headlong flight to safety through smoke and flames as homes burned. (Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

CAL FIRE says “more than 17 major wildfires are burning across the state. Thousands of people have been evacuated from Northern California to Anaheim in Southern Colorado.”