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Massive Northern California wildfires rage on; 1 man dead

Posted at 4:48 AM, Aug 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-24 07:48:39-04

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (AP) - Authorities in Northern California say a 70-year-old man has died in one of the three giant wildfires burning around the San Francisco Bay Area.

The man had been reported missing and authorities used a helicopter to reach the location where they found him in the rural community of Last Chance in Santa Cruz County.

The area was under an evacuation order and Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Chris Clark said it was a stark reminder of the need for residents to leave the area.

The fatality was the seventh fire death in the state in the last week that has seen 650 wildfires across California, many of them sparked by lightning strikes.