国际英语资讯:Wildfires destroy 3,500 houses in western Californias Santa Rosa: mayor_时事

国际英语资讯:Wildfires destroy 3,500 houses in western Californias Santa Rosa: mayor

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13 -- An estimated 5 percent of the housing stock, or 3,500 homes and businesses, in Santa Rosa city were burned in wildfires ravaging North Bay of western California, Mayor Chris Coursey told Xinhua on Friday.

The property losses, not including commercial damage, will amount to a huge sum of 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, Coursey confirmed to Xinhua after a press conference Friday afternoon at Santa Rosa, seat of Sonoma County, about 90 kilometers north of San Francisco.

"It's a huge hill that we have to climb," Coursey said at the press briefing.

国际英语资讯:Wildfires destroy 3,500 houses in western Californias Santa Rosa: mayor1

"Our job right now is to get through this emergency. Then we'll start taking the next steps," the mayor added.

Meanwhile, Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano confirmed at the press conference another fatality in the county, which brought the number of deaths in the county to 18. The fires have also claimed eight lives in Mendocino County, four in Yuba County and two in Napa since Sunday.

The statewide wildfires have killed a total of 32 people, including a 14-year-old boy, whose identity was confirmed in Mendocino County, about 200 kilometers north of San Francisco.

By Friday, 29,500 people remain without power across California state after a series of deadly wildfires downed power lines, local media quoted the California Office of Emergency Services as saying.