California Wildfires Toll: 42 Dead, $1 Billion In Damages, 8400 Structures Destroyed

The California wildfires created one of the most devastating events in the state’s history. The newest updated numbers are giving us a glimpse into the peril caused in the Golden State.

Thousands of people have been, and still, remain displaced by the fires in California know all too well how dire the situation has become. Now that the fires have been almost completely contained and the extent of the damage has become much more clear, there can be a more comprehensive update of those numbers.

More than 160,000 acres, or 250 square miles, have burned in Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties, just north of San Francisco. Another 36,000 acres have burned farther north in Mendocino County. The fires are still not 100 percent contained, but firefighters are making progress. Nearly 500,000 acres have been torched in California so far this year—twice as many acres as last year. Since October, Cal Fire has battled 250 new wildfires.

Forty-two people have died because of the fires in Northern California. This staggering number includes 23 in Sonoma County alone. All together, the Northern California fires are the deadliest in the state’s history. (The second-deadliest was the 1933 Griffith Park fire, followed by the wildfire in the Oakland hills in 1991.) And as of last week, dozens of people were still missing.

Somewhere near 8,400 structures have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire, the state’s wildfire-fighting agency. Eight insurers reported to the California insurance commissioner that about 5,500 homes were completely destroyed, and an additional 4,000 homes were partially burned. Santa Rosa alone lost 3,000 homes to the Tubbs fire which spread at a stunningly rapid pace; a fact worsened by the Bay Area’s already dire housing crisis. Those who can afford to rebuild their homes will now face a major labor shortage and steep labor costs possibly making it no longer financially wise to rebuild in California.

Last week, the commissioner estimated that the losses because of the fires totaled more than $1 billion, with that figure expected to continue to rise.

At the fires’ peak, 11,000 firefighters across the state—including 3,800 inmate volunteers from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation—battled the flames. Firefighters would work anywhere from 24 to 80 straight hours, dousing active fires and chopping down trees and brush to prevent their spread. About 4,300 still remain on the frontlines to finish containment.

At least two dozen wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties have been partly or fully destroyed. While some vineyards have been able to finish out the harvest season, those most affected may take up to five years to grow back their vines. Wineries are the backbone of the region’s tourism industry; visitors spent $1.92 billion last year, and the fires will likely have an impact on the price paid for wine across the country.

Cop Charged With Felony Assault After Breaking into Bedroom, Repeatedly Tasing and Beating Victim

Sonoma, AZ – A former sheriff’s deputy was jailed and charged with felony assault after using excessive force against a 37-year-old man sitting in his own bed in his home. Scott Thorne, 40, turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest, and was released two hours later on $10,000 bail.

The charge came after a 3-month investigation by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s office and the District Attorney. The victim, a 37-year-old Marine Corps veteran and former police officer, is still recovering from injuries sustained during the Sept. 24, 2016, incident, where he was beaten with a baton and repeatedly tased.

A neighbor called 911 after hearing a “heated argument” next door, which prompted a domestic disturbance call to the victim’s house. A woman answered the door, and one cop stayed with her while two others went to the back of the house. The victim was locked in his bedroom and refused to come out.

“Thorne forced his way into the bedroom where the man lay on the bed. Thorne grabbed the man’s arm when he refused to get up, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The man pulled away, and Thorne shocked him with a stun gun, but it had little effect on the man, who sat up and pulled out the Taser wires, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Thorne then used his baton and hit the man in the leg, officials said. Thorne and [Officer Beau] Zastrow tried to physically restrain the man on the bed and the third deputy, [Officer Anthony] Diehm, came to the room to assist.

Thorne swung his baton several times, striking the man in the back after he broke free from his grasp and ran toward the door, officials said. He fell to the ground and a struggle continued. Diehm fired his Taser at the man, and they were able to handcuff him.”

It’s not clear whether the cops were invited into the home or not, but even though they broke through the bedroom door and violently subdued the man, he was arrested for “threatening an officer, battery and obstructing an officer.” The charges were later dropped when prosecutors reviewed body cam footage. The Sheriff’s Office then reviewed footage and launched an investigation.

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Thorne left the job soon after the investigation started, although “state law prevents the county from saying whether he resigned or was fired.” The two other officers are still on duty and their actions are being reviewed for excessive force and integrity of written reports.

The victim managed to get some video footage which he gave to the Santa Rosa police and DA investigators. His injuries included bruises, injuries and welts

“The man is still recovering from injuries sustained when he was beaten and repeatedly shocked with a stun gun, according to [Attorney Izaak] Schwaiger.

“There’s also the psychological trauma when someone comes into your own home, into your bedroom and commits this kind of violence,” Schwaiger said.”

The county’s Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach will be reviewing the case when the Sheriff’s Office has completed their review. The case has already led to changes at the department, including the requirement that supervisors “review all incidents when deputies report force was used or a person resisted arrest.”

Perhaps the victim’s cell phone footage and/or body cam footage will be released in the future, which will show us how bad this beating was that it would change department policy and actually bring the arrest of at least one officer.

Hopefully the neighbor realizes now that calling the cops can put people in far more danger than the alternatives.