Two bodies found in ruins of California fire

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Officials searched the burned-out remains of homes in Northern California on Wednesday, looking for a former police reporter and several other people who authorities fear were killed in a fast-moving blaze in that part of the state.

About 200 miles away in the Sierra Nevada foothills, two bodies were found inside burned-out homes Tuesday, Calaveras County coroner Kevin Raggio said.

One of the victims was identified as Mark McCloud, 65, who was found inside his residence in the Mountain Ranch area. Raggio wouldn’t release the name of the second victim, also found in Mountain Ranch, because the family has not been notified.

He said both were found in an area where mandatory evacuations were ordered after the fire burning 60 miles southeast of Sacramento exploded in size over the weekend.

The deaths came in addition to an elderly, disabled woman whose body was found Sunday in the ruins of her Lake County home about 100 miles north of San Francisco.

Authorities were searching nearby for 69-year-old Leonard Neft, who was reported missing by his family. His burned-out car was discovered on a route he would have used to escape.