Five dead in California wildfires

(NBC News) Firefighting crews are losing ground against hundreds of wildfires now burning across California.

“Honestly our resources are stretched very far,” CAL Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said Thursday.

Prisoner crews which normally work the front lines are unavailable. They’re the same low-risk prisoners who got coronavirus pandemic furloughs to ease overcrowding.

In the path of the flames, the only option is to get out of the way.

“The fire was loud, it whistled, it roared,” says evacuee Nancy Milliken, adding “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been in.”

At least five people have been killed, including veteran pilot Mike Fournier, who lost his life when his water-dropping helicopter went down as he worked to control a blaze threatening the homes evacuees.

So far 60,000 have been forced to flee their homes, and 100,000 more are on standby.