At least two people died on Wednesday while helping fight wildfires that are burning out of control in Northern California, officials said Thursday.
NBC Bay Area reports that a Pacific Gas and Electric worker died while assisting firefighters battling the LNU Lightning Complex fires, a massive blaze that is actually several fires connected together in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo, and Solano counties. A second man died when the helicopter he was piloting crashed as he dropped water on the Hills fire in the San Joaquin Valley. He worked for a private company contracted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
There are more than 367 fires burning in the state, with many sparked by dry lightning strikes. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday said the state is "experiencing fires the likes of which we haven't seen in many, many years," and the state's resources are stretched thin.
The LNU Lightning Complex fires have destroyed more than 100 structures and are threatening more than 30,000 more, fire officials said Thursday. It is zero percent contained, with 587 firefighters on the scene.