BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) According to foreign media reports, as of the 17th local time, 71 people had died from forest fires in northern California, the United States, and more than 1000 people had lost contact. In addition, due to the sharp decline of local air quality caused by mountain fires, norovirus infection began to break out in some shelters.
The picture shows the burned house ruins. Photographed by Zhang Shuo, a reporter from China News Service
According to the report, the death toll from the worst forest fire in California's history has risen to 71, and the number of missing people has exceeded 1000. However, the authorities said that there may be duplicate names in the missing list, and there may be some people who are safe at present, but did not report the situation.
The dense smoke from forest fires has seriously polluted the air in many areas of California, leading to the rapid decline of local air quality to a "very unhealthy" level. The authorities ordered the temporary closure of schools and tourist attractions in the San Francisco Bay Area, three hours' drive from the main disaster area, and people were urged to stay at home.
The San Francisco Transportation Bureau issued a statement on its website, saying that the impact of forest fires and the local climate led to the upgrading of San Francisco's air quality index from a red "unhealthy" level to a purple "very unhealthy" level. "The Public Health Bureau urges all people to stay indoors and avoid exposure to outdoor air."
The firemen are putting out the fire.
According to photos uploaded to social media by local people, the Golden Gate Bridge, the landmark of San Francisco, is shrouded in thick smoke. One resident said that the situation was very bad. "The whole city is shrouded in smog, and the air has become worse. I have never seen so many people wearing masks."
The forest fire has been raging for more than a week, causing serious casualties, and more than 10000 houses and buildings have been reduced to ashes. To make matters worse, some shelters began to erupt highly infectious norovirus; Health officials pointed out that 41 victims had vomit and diarrhea, and another 25 were hospitalized due to serious conditions.
