The deadliest wildfire in the history of the U.S. state of California that has killed at least 85 people was finally brought under control after burning for more than two weeks, authorities said on Sunday.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) tweeted that the fire, dubbed as Camp Fire, scorched 153,336 acres (620 square km) before it was 100 percent contained.
"#CampFire ... is now 100% contained," the state fire authority said on its official Twitter account, noting that it has destroyed 13,972 residences, 528 commercial and 4,293 other buildings.
Meanwhile, the Butte County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that 249 people remained unaccounted for till Saturday, down from more than 1,000 days ago.
But there are still 271 names on the missing list posted on the homepage of the county sheriff's office Sunday morning.
The office also said the death toll rose to 85 on Saturday after three more bodies were found on the day. It was the deadliest wildfire in 100 years in the United States since 1918's Cloquet Fire which killed 453 people in northern Minnesota.
The Camp fire was first reported in the morning of Nov. 8, and then in a few hours torched Paradise, a foothill town located 150 kilometers north of Sacramento, the capital city of the Golden State.
More than 5,000 firefighters from all western states as far as South Dakota and Texas had been struggling with the fire on the scene for about two weeks before rains that moved into Northern California last Wednesday doused the flames and helped them gain more control of the blaze.
However, the rain also raises concerns that mudslides and debris flows could be caused in the burn scar areas of Paradise. The Butte County Sheriff's Office warned residents to be aware of risks associated to the weather. Enditem
