SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Two more people died in wildfires in Yuba County, north of San Francisco in western California, bringing the total death toll in statewide wildfires to 26, local media reported Thursday.
The media reports said among the fatalities, 14 are in Sonoma County, two in Napa County, six in Mendocino County and four in Yuba County.
Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano told a press conference Thursday that "the new number of death" is 14 in Somona County and that the sheriff has received a total of 900 missing people reports by Thursday morning.
He said faulty cell service hindered communication between evacuees and their families, and of the list of the 900 missing persons reports, 437 were found safe.
A team of 30 Sonoma County detectives are working to account for the outstanding 463 people in the fire zone, said Giordano.
At least 10 Sonoma County detectives with the assistance of cadaver dogs will work on body recovery, and expect 10 more officers from an outside agency to assist, Giordano said.
Meanwhile, local TV reports said progress has been made in the containment of the firestorm in the North Bay.
The reports quoted Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as saying on Thursday that 10 percent of the blaze burning in Sonoma County is contained.
But he warned that potential gusty winds forecast to hit the area later in the day could hamper firefighting efforts.
The statewide wildfires have destroyed 3,500 homes and business and burned more than 170,000 acres of land (688 square kilometers), making it one of the worst wildfires in California state.
