In his Thursday statement, Qassemi also offered sympathy to the American nation and the bereaved families of the victims.
The statewide death toll in California’s wildfires reached 50 late on Tuesday, as authorities reported six more deaths in the Camp fire in the north of the state.
The deaths from the Camp fire, the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history, have increased to 48, the sheriff of Northern California’s Butte County said.
103 people are also missing — most of them senior citizens — in Butte County.
Authorities have requested that 100 National Guard troops join cadaver dogs, mobile morgues and anthropology teams in the grim search and recovery of human remains.