Death toll in Northern California wildfire rises to 48: authorities

Authorities in Northern California announced Tuesday that the death toll from the wildfire still raging there has risen to 48 people.

The Associated Press reported that authorities confirmed six more fatalities as a result of the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history. First responders are still searching for victims in the town of Paradise, Calif., which was destroyed by the blaze.

The AP reported that more than 5,000 firefighters are working to put out the Camp Fire, which has destroyed nearly 8,000 homes and forced 52,000 people to flee.

{mosads}Fifty people have died in the past week as a result of the Northern California wildfire and other fires burning throughout the state, the AP reported.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is set to travel Wednesday to Paradise to tour the area. He will then make his way to Southern California, which has been damaged by the Woolsey Fire that has burned more than 100,000 acres. Zinke will meet with California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) during his visit.

The Trump administration is dealing with the response to the fires as President Trump has attracted widespread criticism for his comments about the disaster. In tweets over the weekend, Trump blamed poor forest management for the blazes and threatened to withhold emergency funding from the state.

Lawmakers, celebrities and the International Association of Firefighters slammed the president’s comments, with the latter group calling the remarks “reckless and insulting.”