Couple die together in California wildfires after 75 years of marriage
An elderly couple who had been together for more than 75 years have died in wildfires ravaging northern California.
Charles Rippey – who was also known as Peach – had recently turned 100 and his wife Sara was 99-years-old.
At least 11 people have been killed and 100 injured in the fires, which have also destroyed as many as 1,500 homes and businesses.
Some of the largest of the 14 blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, where there are scores of wineries that attract tourists. Smoke from the fires billowed as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles away.
The elderly couple's grandaughter, Ruby Gibney, told KTU-TV that their house in Napa "was quickly ravaged by the fire, and they were unable to get out in time and tragically died”.
She added: "The only thing worse would have been if one survived without the other."
The couple met as children in Wisconsin. One of their sons, Mike Rippey, told ABC News: "They lived a long life. It was a great life and they were happy right up until the last minute."
Napa County Sheriff’s Sergeant Mark Foster told The Mercury News Ms Rippey used a wheelchair. He said they had a carer, but she could not save them. "She was barely able to get out in time and wasn’t able to get to them,” he said.
The fires are already among the deadliest in California, with the death toll expected to rise.
Sonoma County said it had received more than 100 missing-person reports, with family and friends desperate to locate loved ones.
