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Death Toll From Wine Napa And Sonoma Counties Stands At 22; 88 Still Missing

NAPA COUNTY (CBS13) - Calm winds and better fire behavior allowed firefighters to make good progress on the fires burning in Napa and Sonoma counties on Monday.

Fire officials tell us they are "cautiously optimistic" as they move into week two of fighting the flames. But sadly, another person lost their life. A private contractor driving a water tanker swerved off a Napa County road and was killed.

Of the 41 people who've died in the Northern California wildfires, more than half have been in Napa and Sonoma Counties.

Twenty-two people have been killed in Wine Country but 88 are still listed as missing. Officials say they expect that number to go up.

"We still have targeted teams in the field looking for our missing persons and we have National Guard troops doing blanket searches for us," said one official.

They admit they expect to find more bodies in the rubble of some burned out homes. As for the firefight itself, an air assault on Monday and hand crews working to direct the flames proved successful.

More evacuation zones were lifted but officials warn it will take weeks for some people to go back to their neighborhoods.

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