Finns have been baffled by US President Donald Trump's comments praising the country for managing its vast forests by raking.
Citing a conversation with his Finnish counterpart, Mr Trump said they spend "a lot of time on raking and cleaning".
But President Sauli Niinisto told a Finnish daily he could not remember talking about raking when the two met.
Firefighters in California are currently battling the deadliest blaze in the state's history.
Nearly 1,000 people remain on a list of people reported as missing, authorities say.
The number of believed missing fell 283 late on Sunday, down from 1,276 people, they say, but gave no other details.
Heavy rain is forecast in the coming days and could complicate efforts to find victims' remains, but will bring relief to firefighters on the front lines.