The flames that raced across California wine country left little more than smouldering ashes and eye-stinging smoke in their wake.

House after house was gone, with only charred debris to mark sites that were once family homes.

Newly homeless residents of Northern California took stock of their shattered lives Tuesday while the blazes that have killed at least 15 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses kept burning.

Hundreds more firefighters joined the battle against the uncontained flames.

The wildfires already rank among the five deadliest in California history, and officials expected the death toll to increase as the scope of destruction becomes clear.

Kenwood, California - 10 October 2017

1. Police tape blocking entrance to Chateau St. Jean winery entrance

2. Singed vines surrounding Chateau St. Jean sign

3. Fire truck parked in front of fire on winery property

4. Fire burns next to winery production facility

5. Flames

6. Pan down from metal wine storage containers to flames

7. Two firefighters using hand tools to cut lines around fire

8. Close of firefighter using hand tool on flames on burning brush

9. Firefighter raking brush back away from fire

10. Fire burning next to wood crates and winery equipment

11. Firefighter watching brush fire burn itself out

12. Firefighter using hose to extinguish fire

13. Firefighter with hose spraying around winery equipment

14. Grape vines in foreground, firefighter in background

15. Firefighters spraying water on winery maintenance building

16. Firefighter breaking hole into roof

17. Various of firefighter using hose

18. Two firefighters fight fire inside maintenance building

19. Firefighter poking hole through ceiling

20. Firefighter spraying water inside building

21. Smoke billowing behind vineyard

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated resident:

"All we've heard is that our barn is gone for sure. Which I can assume our house is also gone. It's all Facebook stuff."

23. Pan from fire station to group waiting to hear about their homes

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated resident:

"This fire was fast. It started in Kenwood and came up about three miles up that ridge just in no time at all."

25. People waiting near fire station to try to get word on their homes

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated resident:

"Just waiting to find out so I can call the insurance to see if it's a complete write-off, which I assume it is. (Reporter - have they given you any indication when you are able get back in now?) No, they have given us no indication, because it's not contained, as we speak it's not contained. They don't want to let anybody in there. I don't blame them."

27. House exterior

28. Various of officers walking around a house (checking for looters, victims)

29. Officers checking out a burned car in the drive way

30. Officers walking down drive way and leave property

More than a dozen wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through California wine country on Monday, killing at least 10 people, destroying more than 1,500 homes and businesses and sending thousands fleeing.

Flames raged unchecked through high-end resorts, grocery stores and tree-lined neighbourhoods and were burning "at explosive rates" because of 50 miles per hour (80 kph) winds, according to the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fires broke out nearly simultaneously and then exploded overnight, sending residents fleeing as embers rained down and flames raged around them.

The ferocity of the flames forced authorities to focus primarily on getting people out safely, even if it meant abandoning structures to the fire.

Two hospitals in Santa Rosa, the largest city in the region with 175,000 people, were forced to evacuate patients.

Later in the day, fires from ruptured gas lines dotted the smoky landscapes of blackened Santa Rosa hillsides.

The fire area covered more than 100 square miles (160 square kilometers) over eight counties.

Some of the largest blazes were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world.

Those fires sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) away.

Fires also burned in Yuba, Butte and Nevada counties - all north of the state capital.

The scale of the fires prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Yuba counties.

Authorities imposed a sunset-to-sunrise curfew in Santa Rosa, saying they were on the lookout for looters,

The fires throughout the region were among the deadliest in California history, and fire officials expected the number of fatalities to increase.

It was unusual to have so many fires take off at the same time, fire officials said, though October has generally been the most destructive time of year for California wildfires.

Napa, California - October 9, 2017

1. Signorello winery destroyed by wildfire

2. Fire burns around main entrance to gutted winery

3. Pan from pool and deck seating to burned winery

4. Fire burns up side of row of charred wine bottles

5. Close up of blackened wine bottles

6. Melted bottles on another rack

7. Private residence next to winery in flames

8. Smoking wooden fence in front of grape vines

Sonoma, California - October 9, 2017

9. Smoke fills air above Gundlach Bundschu Winery

10. Flames rising above Gunlach Bundschu

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"It's right behind the main office. It's working its way down the hillside. What can I say? It's slowly working its way in."

12. Smoke rises above Gunlach Bundschu vineyards

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"We had a fire truck come in. Gave us pointers on what to do and then they left and went on to another property. Other than that, we haven't seen anybody. There's so much going that the resources are short. Contractor brought his water truck in to stand by for us. We're hoping for the best."

14. Willis talks with contractor

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"Everybody's been coming by wanting to help. There's not a whole bunch to do. They just keep coming by checking on us, offering us food, water, whatever. The community's been remarkable."

16. Scorched earth in front of Nicholson Ranch Winery

17. Owner's residence at Nicholson Ranch destroyed, winery was sparred

18. Dairy processing plant in wine country destroyed

19. Smoke rising from dairy farm

20. American flag flies in front of smoking vineyard

A wind-whipped wildfire roared through a northern California town threatened by a devastating blaze, wiping out more than 100 houses and businesses and forcing thousands of people to flee, authorities said on Monday.

The fire seemed to be calming on Sunday before gusts kicked up the flames that tore through neighbourhoods in Lower Lake, a rural town about 145 kilometres (90 miles) north of San Francisco.

No one was injured, but it reached the town's Main Street and damaged the post office, a winery, an antiques store, a historic firehouse and the local Habitat for Humanity office.

The blaze was one of 11 large wildfires in the state, where high temperatures and parched conditions brought on by a five-year drought raised the risk of fire.

In central California, a two-day-old wildfire destroyed 12 structures, damaged others and threatened 200 houses.

Last September, one of California's most destructive wildfires ravaged a series of small towns near Lower Lake, whose residents were forced to evacuate.

Four people were killed and more than 1,300 properties in nearby communities were destroyed.

Lower Lake, where the new fire struck, is a town of about 1,300 that attracts working-class families and retirees with housing prices lower than the San Francisco Bay Area.

The fire broke out on Saturday afternoon and expanded to nearly 13 square kilometres (five square miles) as it fed on bone-dry vegetation.

Besides the wind, temperatures of around 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) hindered firefighters as they struggled to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze.

Residents who thought conditions were improving on Sunday went on errands in town and came back to towering flames and smoke.

Some used hoses or water from their pools to try to protect their houses.

At least 175 structures were destroyed.

Lower Lake, California - August 15, 2016

1. Sign reading (English) "No trespassing" in front of smoldering remains of a house

2. Various of fire damage to houses

3. Mark Giberson, resident who lost house and a storage unit, talking on mobile phone in front of his destroyed storage unit, which housed antique musical instruments and other valuable memorabilia

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Giberson, resident who lost house and a storage unit:

"I lost a collection of California history in there, and then also, about five houses down this way, I had another old house built in 1888, and that's gone too."

5. Close of burnt out vehicle with Giberson standing next to it

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Giberson, resident who lost house and a storage unit:

"I haven't quite lost it (his composure) yet over the whole thing. Pretty much my whole life was inside that building there."

7. Various of firefighters spraying water on smouldering remains of house

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jody Barnes, resident whose house was not destroyed:

"It's so beyond tragic. There was no way to save these homes. They all burnt in a row up there. The winery burned - places I've known for many years and knew the people who owned these places."

9. Flames on hill side

10. Firefighters with smoke in background

11. Various of firefighters

12. Helicopter filling bucket with water from lake

13. Helicopters in the sky

14. Tracking shot of helicopter collecting water and moving towards smoke in the distance

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Lowenthal, assistant fire marshal and public information officer:

"In this particular case, we had everything. We had grass burning, we had vegetation burning, homes, businesses, a fire that moved into downtown Lower Lake. So we had everything. Propane tank explosions. It's really been a combined effort of our forces in the air and on the ground to get this out as quickly as possible."

16. Firefighters walking

17. Firefighter walking past burnt out truck

18. Firefighter extinguishing fire

19. Burnt vehicle with firefighters in background

20. Various of firefighters working

21. Pacific Gas and Electric Company workers repairing damage to utilities infrastructure

The same fires that destroyed Northern California wineries and threatened to taint grapes still on the vine also took a toll on the region's marijuana farms, which were about to begin an important harvest less than three months before the nation's largest recreational pot market opens for business in January.

Marcos Morales and the workers who made it around the roadblocks Sunday continued to cut down smoke-damaged plants, which will he said will be worth far less than the top dollar he had hoped to get for premium bud.

His operation in Glenn Ellen and other pot farms nearby were still in a fire zone that was off limits to all but emergency personnel a week after flames tore through the area.

At least 34 marijuana farms were destroyed and many more damaged, according to the pot industry's California Growers Association.

That number is expected to rise significantly once evacuation orders are lifted and farmers are allowed back to their property.

Unlike neighbouring wineries, marijuana farmers do not have crop insurance because the plant is still listed as an illegal drug under federal law, which keeps financial institutions out of the industry.

The estimated losses do not count indoor grows, backyard greenhouses and converted garages lost to the fire in hard-hit Santa Rosa, the centre of Sonoma County's blossoming marijuana industry.

The industry figure also does not account for illegal growers who want no part of legalisation and operate as far undercover as possible even in a region where toking up on the sidewalk is as socially acceptable as popping a bottle of red in a park.

At Morales' Legion of Bloom farm, a drying barn with 1,600 pounds of ready-for-market bud was destroyed, and smoke damaged 2,500 plants still in the ground, Morales said.

Many of the farmers who suffered the greatest losses were working to obtain licences to grow recreational pot once state regulators starting issuing permits on Jan. 1.

Farmers with local permits to grow medical marijuana are expected to receive the first licenses.

But those damaged by fire are now concerned they may lose out if they don't get back up and running quickly.

Many of them have already paid fees and lawyers in their efforts to go legitimate.

Overall, the damage is expected to have little impact on the state's marijuana economy because thousands of growers were unaffected by the fires, especially in the so-called Emerald Triangle of Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties.

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

1. Entrance to Legion of Bloom cannabis farm

2. Various of cannabis rows, up to 2,500 plants in this section, many damaged and not sellable because of fire

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales; Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"My name is Marcos Morales and I'm the co-founder of the Legion of Bloom and right now we've been going through the toughest fires I've ever seen in Sonoma County. I've been here for a decade now and I've never seen anything like this."

4. Mature marijuana bud, the part of the plant harvested

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales; Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"The Legion of Bloom is a cannabis brand, we do everything from cultivation through extractions and distribution. We sell products all over the market here in California and are just now expanding to Las Vegas and Nevada."

6. Various of greenhouse, ventilation, plants, damage to water cooler

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales; Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I'm not a fire expert, but it got hot around here, it got way hot. All that is going to affect the taste, and it's been smoky for a week."

8. Farm workers hanging harvested cannabis for drying

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales; Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"So this is something of the cannabis we've been able to salvage for extracts. We're going to have to send it off for testing before we do process at all just to make sure it clears for any type of contamination."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales; Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

(++camera focused on buds in his hand++)

"Right now the only thing we're harvesting is stuff that looks to the visual eye OK, healthy and unaffected."

11. Various of destroyed drying barns, reason why workers are re-hanging buds in barn still standing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales; Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I mean the loss is this entire farm for the most part. We have a lot of bills to pay, a lot of employees so whatever we salvage can hopefully pay that part of the overheard. But the entire farm for this year is a loss."

13. Various tight of cannabis hanging

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales; Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I haven't slept in…when I do sleep, I have to turn on the alarm to wake up every hour or two, just because we are in the high-risk area, so you can't really, you have to always be on high alert…(++his phone is ringing++) there's my mom calling me again so… you know how that is…"

15. Various of farm, plumes of smoke rise and hector the skyline in proximity to the farm

Sacramento, California— 17 October 2017

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association:

"My name is Hezekiah Allen and I'm the executive director of the California Growers Association. We represent about 1,200 of the estimated 50,000 or so cannabis growers and businesses here in the state."

17. Allen during interview, capitol in background

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association:

"You know we've actually, we've confirmed about 34 farms with damages similar to what you were able to see in six different counties at this point so really up and down the state we're seeing damage, really severe and widespread damages."

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

19. Various of rows of cannabis drying

Sacramento, California— 17 October 2017

20. Allen walks past, capitol in view

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association:

"I could say easily we're talking tens of millions. We don't have an estimate, we've started documenting and cataloging direct impacts, people who lost crops directly to flames, but we haven't started looking at is the amount of smoke damage that might be out there. Products will lose value if they're contaminated with toxins and smoke from these fires, we'll be looking carefully at that, it will probably be a couple of months before we get a picture of the losses."

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

22. Hemp leaves

The same fires that destroyed Northern California wineries and threatened to taint grapes still on the vine also took a toll on the region's marijuana farms, which were about to begin an important harvest less than three months before the nation's largest recreational pot market opens for business in January.

Marcos Morales and the workers who made it around the roadblocks Sunday continued to cut down smoke-damaged plants, which will he said will be worth far less than the top dollar he had hoped to get for premium bud.

His operation in Glenn Ellen and other pot farms nearby were still in a fire zone that was off limits to all but emergency personnel a week after flames tore through the area.

At least 34 marijuana farms were destroyed and many more damaged, according to the pot industry's California Growers Association. That number is expected to rise significantly once evacuation orders are lifted and farmers are allowed back to their property.

Unlike neighboring wineries, marijuana farmers do not have crop insurance because the plant is still listed as an illegal drug under federal law, which keeps financial institutions out of the industry.

The estimated losses do not count indoor grows, backyard greenhouses and converted garages lost to the fire in hard-hit Santa Rosa, the center of Sonoma County's blossoming marijuana industry.

The industry figure also does not account for illegal growers who want no part of legalization and operate as far undercover as possible even in a region where toking up on the sidewalk is as socially acceptable as popping a bottle of red in a park.

At Morales' Legion of Bloom farm, a drying barn with 1,600 pounds of ready-for-market bud was destroyed, and smoke damaged 2,500 plants still in the ground, he said.

Many of the farmers who suffered the greatest losses were working to obtain licenses to grow recreational pot once state regulators starting issuing permits on Jan. 1.

Farmers with local permits to grow medical marijuana are expected to receive the first licenses. But those damaged by fire are now concerned they may lose out if they don't get back up and running quickly. Many of them have already paid fees and lawyers in their efforts to go legitimate.

Overall, the damage is expected to have little impact on the state's marijuana economy because thousands of growers were unaffected by the fires, especially in the so-called Emerald Triangle of Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties.

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

1. Entrance to Legion of Bloom cannabis farm

2. Various of cannabis rows, up to 2500 plants in this section, many damaged and not sellable because of fire, close on undamaged buds

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"My name is Marcos Morales and I'm the co-founder of the Legion of Bloom and right now we've been going through the toughest fires I've ever seen in Sonoma County. I've been here for a decade now and I've never seen anything like this."

4. Tight on mature marijuana bud, the part of the plant harvested

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"The Legion of Bloom is a cannabis brand, we do everything from cultivation through extractions and distribution. We sell products all over the market here in California and are just now expanding to Las Vegas and Nevada."

6. Various greenhouse, ventilation, plants, damage to water cooler

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I'm not a fire expert, but it got hot around here, it got way hot. All that is going to affect the taste, and it's been smoky for a week."

8. Farm workers hanging harvested cannabis for drying

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"So this is something of the cannabis we've been able to salvage for extracts. We're gonna have to send it off for testing before we do process at all just to make sure it clears for any type of contamination."

10. (camera focused on buds in his hand) SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom: "Right now the only thing we're harvesting is stuff that looks to the visual eye OK, healthy and unaffected."

11. Various of destroyed drying barns, reason why workers are re-hanging buds in barn still standing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I mean the loss is this entire farm for the most part. We have a lot of bills to pay, a lot of employees so whatever we salvage can hopefully pay that part of the overheard. But the entire farm for this year is a loss."

13. Various tight of cannabis hanging

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I haven't slept in…when I do sleep, I have to turn on the alarm to wake up every hour or two, just because we are in the high risk area, so you can't really, you have to always be on high alert…(his phone is ringing) there's my mom calling me again so… you know how that is…"

15. Various of farm, plumes of smoke rise and hector the skyline in proximity to the farm

Sacramento, California— 17 October 2017

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association: "My name is Hezekiah Allen and I'm the executive director of the California Growers Association. We represent about 1200 of the estimated 50-thousand or so cannabis growers and businesses here in the state."

17. Allen during interview, wide shot with capitol in background

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association:

"You know we've actually, we've confirmed about 34 farms with damages similar to what you were able to see in six different counties….really up and down the state we're seeing damage, severe and widespread damages."

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

19. Rows of cannabis drying, various

Sacramento, California— 17 October 2017

20. Allen walks past frame, capitol in view

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association:

"I could say easily we're talking tens of millions. We don't have an estimate, we've started documenting and cataloging direct impacts, people who lost crops directly to flames, but we haven't started looking at is the amount of smoke damage that might be out there. Products will lose value if they're contaminated with toxins and smoke from these fires, we'll be looking carefully at that, it will probably be a couple of months before we get a picture of the losses."

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

22. Medium view of hemp leaves

The same fires that destroyed Northern California wineries and threatened to taint grapes still on the vine also took a toll on the region's marijuana farms, which were about to begin an important harvest less than three months before the nation's largest recreational pot market opens for business in January.

Marcos Morales and the workers who made it around the roadblocks Sunday continued to cut down smoke-damaged plants, which will he said will be worth far less than the top dollar he had hoped to get for premium bud.

His operation in Glenn Ellen and other pot farms nearby were still in a fire zone that was off limits to all but emergency personnel a week after flames tore through the area.

At least 34 marijuana farms were destroyed and many more damaged, according to the pot industry's California Growers Association. That number is expected to rise significantly once evacuation orders are lifted and farmers are allowed back to their property.

Unlike neighboring wineries, marijuana farmers do not have crop insurance because the plant is still listed as an illegal drug under federal law, which keeps financial institutions out of the industry.

The estimated losses do not count indoor grows, backyard greenhouses and converted garages lost to the fire in hard-hit Santa Rosa, the center of Sonoma County's blossoming marijuana industry.

The industry figure also does not account for illegal growers who want no part of legalization and operate as far undercover as possible even in a region where toking up on the sidewalk is as socially acceptable as popping a bottle of red in a park.

At Morales' Legion of Bloom farm, a drying barn with 1,600 pounds of ready-for-market bud was destroyed, and smoke damaged 2,500 plants still in the ground, he said.

Many of the farmers who suffered the greatest losses were working to obtain licenses to grow recreational pot once state regulators starting issuing permits on Jan. 1.

Farmers with local permits to grow medical marijuana are expected to receive the first licenses. But those damaged by fire are now concerned they may lose out if they don't get back up and running quickly. Many of them have already paid fees and lawyers in their efforts to go legitimate.

Overall, the damage is expected to have little impact on the state's marijuana economy because thousands of growers were unaffected by the fires, especially in the so-called Emerald Triangle of Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties.

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

1. Entrance to Legion of Bloom cannabis farm

2. Various of cannabis rows, up to 2500 plants in this section, many damaged and not sellable because of fire, close on undamaged buds

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"My name is Marcos Morales and I'm the co-founder of the Legion of Bloom and right now we've been going through the toughest fires I've ever seen in Sonoma County. I've been here for a decade now and I've never seen anything like this."

4. Tight on mature marijuana bud, the part of the plant harvested

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"The Legion of Bloom is a cannabis brand, we do everything from cultivation through extractions and distribution. We sell products all over the market here in California and are just now expanding to Las Vegas and Nevada."

6. Various greenhouse, ventilation, plants, damage to water cooler

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I'm not a fire expert, but it got hot around here, it got way hot. All that is going to affect the taste, and it's been smoky for a week."

8. Farm workers hanging harvested cannabis for drying

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"So this is something of the cannabis we've been able to salvage for extracts. We're gonna have to send it off for testing before we do process at all just to make sure it clears for any type of contamination."

10. (camera focused on buds in his hand) SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom: "Right now the only thing we're harvesting is stuff that looks to the visual eye OK, healthy and unaffected."

11. Various of destroyed drying barns, reason why workers are re-hanging buds in barn still standing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I mean the loss is this entire farm for the most part. We have a lot of bills to pay, a lot of employees so whatever we salvage can hopefully pay that part of the overheard. But the entire farm for this year is a loss."

13. Various tight of cannabis hanging

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcos Morales, Co-Founder, Legion of Bloom:

"I haven't slept in…when I do sleep, I have to turn on the alarm to wake up every hour or two, just because we are in the high risk area, so you can't really, you have to always be on high alert…(his phone is ringing) there's my mom calling me again so… you know how that is…"

15. Various of farm, plumes of smoke rise and hector the skyline in proximity to the farm

Sacramento, California— 17 October 2017

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association: "My name is Hezekiah Allen and I'm the executive director of the California Growers Association. We represent about 1200 of the estimated 50-thousand or so cannabis growers and businesses here in the state."

17. Allen during interview, wide shot with capitol in background

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association:

"You know we've actually, we've confirmed about 34 farms with damages similar to what you were able to see in six different counties….really up and down the state we're seeing damage, severe and widespread damages."

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

19. Rows of cannabis drying, various

Sacramento, California— 17 October 2017

20. Allen walks past frame, capitol in view

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association:

"I could say easily we're talking tens of millions. We don't have an estimate, we've started documenting and cataloging direct impacts, people who lost crops directly to flames, but we haven't started looking at is the amount of smoke damage that might be out there. Products will lose value if they're contaminated with toxins and smoke from these fires, we'll be looking carefully at that, it will probably be a couple of months before we get a picture of the losses."

Glen Ellen, California— 15 October 2017

22. Medium view of hemp leaves

The flames that raced across California wine country left little more than smoldering ashes and eye-stinging smoke in their wake. House after house was gone, with only charred debris to mark sites that were once family homes.

Newly homeless residents of Northern California took stock of their shattered lives Tuesday while the blazes that have killed at least 15 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses kept burning.

Hundreds more firefighters joined the battle against the uncontained flames.

The wildfires already rank among the five deadliest in California history, and officials expected the death toll to increase as the scope of destruction becomes clear.

At least 100 people were injured during the blazes that started Sunday night. Nearly 200 people were reported missing in Sonoma County alone.

Kenwood, California - 10 October 2017

1. Police tape blocks entrance to Chateau St. Jean winery entrance

2. Close up of singed vines surrounding Chateau St. Jean sign

3. Fire truck parked in front of fire on winery property

4. Fire burns next to winery production facility

5. Flames close up

6. Pan down from metal wine storage containers to flames

7. Two firefighters use hand tools to cut lines around fire

8. Close up using hand tool on flames burning brush

9. Firefighter rakes brush back away from fire

10. Fire burns next to wood crates and winery equipment

11. Firefighter watches brush fire burn itself out

12. Firefighter uses hose to extinguish fire

13. Firefighter with hose sprays around winery equipment

14. Grape vines in foreground, firefighter in background

15. Firefighters spray water on winery maintenance building

16. Firefighter breaks hole into roof

17. Close up firefighter using hose

18. Wide shot firefighter using hose

19. Two firefighters fight fire inside maintenance building

20. Firefighter pokes hole through ceiling

21. Firefighter sprays water inside building

22. Smoke billows behind vineyard

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated Resident

"All we've heard is that our barn is gone for sure. I assume our house is also gone. It's all Facebook stuff."

24. Pan from fire station to group waiting to hear about their homes

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated Resident

"This fire was fast. It started in Kenwood and came up about three miles up that ridge just in no time at all."

26. Low angle shot of people waiting near fire station to try to get word on their homes

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated Resident

"Just waiting to find out so I can call the insurance to see if it's a complete write off, which I assume it is. (Reporter - have they given you any indication when you can get back in?) No, because as we speak it's not contained. They don't want to let anybody in there. I don't blame them."

28. Members of assisting San Francisco Police Department check homes for victims, looters, etc.

29. Officers walk around a house

30. Officers walk in front of house

31. Officers check out a burned car in the drive way

32. Officers walk down drive way and leave property

The flames that raced across California wine country left little more than smoldering ashes and eye-stinging smoke in their wake. House after house was gone, with only charred debris to mark sites that were once family homes.

Newly homeless residents of Northern California took stock of their shattered lives Tuesday while the blazes that have killed at least 15 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses kept burning.

Hundreds more firefighters joined the battle against the uncontained flames.

The wildfires already rank among the five deadliest in California history, and officials expected the death toll to increase as the scope of destruction becomes clear.

At least 100 people were injured during the blazes that started Sunday night. Nearly 200 people were reported missing in Sonoma County alone.

Kenwood, California - 10 October 2017

1. Police tape blocks entrance to Chateau St. Jean winery entrance

2. Close up of singed vines surrounding Chateau St. Jean sign

3. Fire truck parked in front of fire on winery property

4. Fire burns next to winery production facility

5. Flames close up

6. Pan down from metal wine storage containers to flames

7. Two firefighters use hand tools to cut lines around fire

8. Close up using hand tool on flames burning brush

9. Firefighter rakes brush back away from fire

10. Fire burns next to wood crates and winery equipment

11. Firefighter watches brush fire burn itself out

12. Firefighter uses hose to extinguish fire

13. Firefighter with hose sprays around winery equipment

14. Grape vines in foreground, firefighter in background

15. Firefighters spray water on winery maintenance building

16. Firefighter breaks hole into roof

17. Close up firefighter using hose

18. Wide shot firefighter using hose

19. Two firefighters fight fire inside maintenance building

20. Firefighter pokes hole through ceiling

21. Firefighter sprays water inside building

22. Smoke billows behind vineyard

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated Resident

"All we've heard is that our barn is gone for sure. I assume our house is also gone. It's all Facebook stuff."

24. Pan from fire station to group waiting to hear about their homes

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated Resident

"This fire was fast. It started in Kenwood and came up about three miles up that ridge just in no time at all."

26. Low angle shot of people waiting near fire station to try to get word on their homes

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Trombetta, Evacuated Resident

"Just waiting to find out so I can call the insurance to see if it's a complete write off, which I assume it is. (Reporter - have they given you any indication when you can get back in?) No, because as we speak it's not contained. They don't want to let anybody in there. I don't blame them."

28. Members of assisting San Francisco Police Department check homes for victims, looters, etc.

29. Officers walk around a house

30. Officers walk in front of house

31. Officers check out a burned car in the drive way

32. Officers walk down drive way and leave property

More than a dozen wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through California wine country Monday, destroying at least 1,500 homes and businesses and sending thousands fleeing as flames raged unchecked through high-end resorts, grocery stores and tree-lined neighborhoods.

The flames were burning "at explosive rates" because of 50 mph winds, said Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Fourteen large fires were burning north of San Francisco, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties. It was unusual to have so many fires take off at the same time, fire officials said, though October has generally been the most destructive time of year for California wildfires.

The ferocity of the flames forced authorities to focus primarily on getting people out safely, even if it meant abandoning structures to the fire. The fire area covered more than 100 square miles (160 square kilometers) over eight counties.

Some of the largest blazes were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. Those fires sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) away.

Fires also burned in Yuba, Butte and Nevada counties — all north of the state capital.

Napa, California - October 9, 2017

1. Signorello winery destroyed by wildfire

2. Fire burns around main entrance to gutted winery

3. Pan from pool and deck seating to burned winery

4. Fire burns up side of row of charred wine bottles

5. Close up of blackened wine bottles

6. Melted bottles on another rack

7. Private residence next to winery in flames

8. Smoking wooden fence in front of grape vines

Sonoma, California - October 9, 2017

9. Smoke fills air above Gundlach Bundschu Winery (pronounced gun-lock-bun-shoe)

10. Flames rising above Gunlach Bundschu

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"It's right behind the main office. It's working its way down the hillside. What can I say? It's slowly working its way in."

12. Smoke rises above Gunlach Bundschu vineyards

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"We had a fire truck come in. Gave us pointers on what to do and then they left and went on to another property. Other than that, we haven't seen anybody. There's so much going that the resources are short. Contractor brought his water truck in to stand by for us. We're hoping for the best."

14. Willis talks with contractor

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"Everybody's been coming by wanting to help. There's not a whole bunch to do. They just keep coming by checking on us, offering us food, water, whatever. The community's been remarkable."

16. Scorched earth in front of Nicholson Ranch Winery

17. Owner's residence at Nicholson Ranch destroyed, winery was sparred

18. Dairy processing plant in wine country destroyed

19. Smoke rising from dairy farm

20. American flag flies in front of smoking vineyard

Firefighters in northern California are attacking a massive wildfire burning in Sonoma County's wine country ahead of another major wind event forecast for Tuesday night.

California's biggest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, cut off power to an estimated 2.5 million people in the northern part of the state over the weekend in yet another round of blackouts aimed at preventing windblown electrical equipment from sparking more fires. And more shut-offs are possible in the next few days.

The fire that broke out last week amid Sonoma County's vineyards and wineries north of San Francisco exploded to at least 103 square miles (267 square kilometers), destroying 96 buildings, including at least 40 homes, and threatening 80,000 more structures, authorities said.

Nearly 200,000 people were under evacuation orders, mostly from the city of Santa Rosa.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the weekend.

The biggest evacuation was in Sonoma County, where some people who were packing up and fleeing Sunday had done so two years ago, when devastating wildfires swept through Sonoma, Napa and neighboring counties, killing 44 people.

Hundreds of people arrived at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa by Sunday. Some came from nursing homes.

More than 300 people slept in an auditorium filled with cots and wheeled beds. Scores of others stayed in a separate building with their pets.

A historic attraction outside Healdsburg was lost Sunday when embers carried by wind sparked a blaze that engulfed the Soda Rock Winery. The buildings included a general store and post office founded in 1869.

Windsor, California - 28 October 2019

1. Firefighters hosing down hot spots by roadside

2. Firefighter using hand tool to cover hot spots

3. Firefighter hosing down hot spot

4. Firefighters covering hot spot in brush

5. Firefighters hosing down hillside

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"With the change in the wind direction and the wind speed dying down, today is really the day or the firefighters to gain ground on the fire out in the field, and that was the message delivered today."

Windsor, California - 28 October 2019

7. Pan of destroyed home with two chimneys standing

8. Fallen Pinot Noir Way road sign

9. Destroyed home

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"And so the message today was basically, 'Look the weather's changed. Let's get out there, let's engage safely and let's gain ground on this fire - to get people back in their homes as soon as we can."

Healdsburg, California - 28 October 2019

11. Burned out truck

12. Pan from smoky hot spot to burned out truck

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"Just patience. I understand on a human level why people would want to stay in their house, but if you have an evacuation order, if you don't leave, you've already compromised firefighter safety.

Healdsburg, California - 28 October 2019

14. Various of destroyed Soda Rocky Winery

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Ambrosi, winery marketing director:

"And he (owner Ken Wilson) put in a decade of love and attention to it. And to have it literally go up in flames is really heart-breaking."

16. Metal scupture of wild boar in front of burned winery

17. Soda Rock sign

18. Rubble of burned winery

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Ambrosi, winery marketing director:

"What does this mean for the business - is really what comes up to mind. All the people who are supposed to come into work and can't come into work. All the weddings that are supposed to be scheduled here. And all these people who had these connections."

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

20. Wide view of Red Cross shelter at Sonoma County Fairgrounds

21. Evacuation with pets sign

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Dave Ashmore, wildfire evacuee:

"It's quite frustrating. I mean all the resources and everything that's going on is great. But it's really frustrating not knowing, having no idea. But I guess in reality no one can go up against Mother Nature."

Healdsburg, California - 28 October 2019

23. Wide view of destroyed Soda Rocky Winery

Firefighters in northern California are attacking a massive wildfire burning in Sonoma County's wine country ahead of another major wind event forecast for Tuesday night.

California's biggest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, cut off power to an estimated 2.5 million people in the northern part of the state over the weekend in yet another round of blackouts aimed at preventing windblown electrical equipment from sparking more fires. And more shut-offs are possible in the next few days.

The fire that broke out last week amid Sonoma County's vineyards and wineries north of San Francisco exploded to at least 103 square miles (267 square kilometers), destroying 96 buildings, including at least 40 homes, and threatening 80,000 more structures, authorities said.

Nearly 200,000 people were under evacuation orders, mostly from the city of Santa Rosa.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the weekend.

The biggest evacuation was in Sonoma County, where some people who were packing up and fleeing Sunday had done so two years ago, when devastating wildfires swept through Sonoma, Napa and neighboring counties, killing 44 people.

Hundreds of people arrived at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa by Sunday. Some came from nursing homes.

More than 300 people slept in an auditorium filled with cots and wheeled beds. Scores of others stayed in a separate building with their pets.

A historic attraction outside Healdsburg was lost Sunday when embers carried by wind sparked a blaze that engulfed the Soda Rock Winery. The buildings included a general store and post office founded in 1869.

Windsor, California - 28 October 2019

1. Firefighters hosing down hot spots by roadside

2. Firefighter using hand tool to cover hot spots

3. Firefighter hosing down hot spot

4. Firefighters covering hot spot in brush

5. Firefighters hosing down hillside

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman, California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"With the change in the wind direction and the wind speed dying down, today is really the day or the firefighters to gain ground on the fire out in the field, and that was the message delivered today."

Windsor, California - 28 October 2019

7. Pan of destroyed home with two chimneys standing

8. Fallen Pinot Noir Way road sign

9. Destroyed home

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"And so the message today was basically, 'Look the weather's changed. Let's get out there, let's engage safely and let's gain ground on this fire - to get people back in their homes as soon as we can."

Healdsburg, California - 28 October 2019

11. Burned out truck

12. Pan from smoky hot spot to burned out truck

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"Just patience. I understand on a human level why people would want to stay in their house, but if you have an evacuation order, if you don't leave, you've already compromised firefighter safety.

Healdsburg, California - 28 October 2019

14. Various of destroyed Soda Rock Winery

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Ambrosi, winery marketing director:

"And he (owner Ken Wilson) put in a decade of love and attention to it. And to have it literally go up in flames is really heart-breaking."

16. Metal scupture of wild boar in front of burned winery

17. Soda Rock sign

18. Rubble of burned winery

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Ambrosi, winery marketing director:

"What does this mean for the business - is really what comes up to mind. All the people who are supposed to come into work and can't come into work. All the weddings that are supposed to be scheduled here. And all these people who had these connections."

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

20. Wide view of Red Cross shelter at Sonoma County Fairgrounds

21. Evacuation with pets sign

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Dave Ashmore, wildfire evacuee:

"It's quite frustrating. I mean all the resources and everything that's going on is great. But it's really frustrating not knowing, having no idea. But I guess in reality no one can go up against Mother Nature."

Healdsburg, California - 28 October 2019

23. Wide view of destroyed Soda Rock Winery

A wind-whipped wildfire roared through a Northern California town threatened by a devastating blaze a year ago, wiping out more than 100 homes and businesses and forcing thousands of people to flee, authorities said Monday.

The fire seemed calm Sunday before gusts kicked up the flames that tore through neighborhoods in Lower Lake, a rural town about 90 miles north of San Francisco, officials said.

No one was injured, but it reached Main Street and burned the post office, a winery, an antiques store, a historic firehouse and the Habitat for Humanity office.

The blaze was one of 11 large wildfires in the state, where high temperatures and parched conditions brought on by a five-year drought raised the fire danger.

In central California, a 2-day-old wildfire destroyed 12 structures, damaged others and threatened 200 homes.

Last September, one of California's most destructive wildfires ravaged a series of small towns just a half-hour from Lower Lake, whose residents were forced to evacuate.

It killed four people, left a fifth missing and destroyed more than 1,300 homes in nearby communities.

The new fire struck in the heart in Lower Lake, a town of about 1,300 that draws working-class families and retirees with housing prices lower than the San Francisco Bay Area.

It broke out Saturday afternoon and exploded to nearly 5 square miles as it fed on bone-dry vegetation.

Besides the wind, 100-degree heat hindered firefighters struggling to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze.

Residents who thought conditions were calm earlier Sunday went on errands in town and came back to towering flames and smoke. Some used hoses or water from their pools to try to protect their houses.

At least 175 structures were destroyed. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant said more than 100 homes burned but didn't have the exact breakdown of residences, businesses and other buildings lost.

At least 1,500 more structures were threatened.

Lower Lake, California - August 15, 2016

1. no trespassing sign in front of smoldering remains of a home

2. smoking foundation all that's left of another home

3. close up of bricks and smoke

4. charred remains of another house

5. small fire still burning on a house beam

6. smoke rises from yet another destroyed home

7. close up of smoke rising from the ashes

8. Mark Giberson talks on cell phone in front of his destroyed storage facility which housed antique musical instruments and other valuable memorabilia

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Giberson - Lost House & Storage Facility

"I lost a collection of California history in there. Also, about five houses down this way, I had another old house built in 1888 and that's gone too."

10. Giberson stands next to his burned pickup truck

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Giberson - Lost House & Storage Facility

"I haven't quite lost it yet over the whole thing. Pretty much my whole life was inside that building there."

12. firefighters spray down smoldering debris which used to be a house

13. close up of firefighter spraying

14. white picket fence in front of firefighter putting out spot fire

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Jody Barnes - Lower Lake Resident (home was not destroyed)

"It's so beyond tragic. There was no way to save these homes. They all burned in a row up there. The winery burned, places I've known for many years and knew the people who owned these places."

16. flames rush down a hillside

17. wide shot of firefighters watching flames from a distance

18. medium shot of more wildfire flames

19. reversal shot of firefighters monitoring fire's progress

20. over-the-shoulder shot of firefighter watching flames, then looking up at helicopter

21. close up of firefighting helicopter filling bucket with water from lake

22. pan from one helicopter to another coming in to get water

23. shot following helicopter to smoking hillside

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Lowenthal, Public Information Officer - CAL FIRE

"In this particular case, we had everything. We had grass burning. We had vegetation burning, homes, businesses, a fire that moved into downtown Lower Lake. So we had everything, propane tank explosions. It's really been a combined effort of our forces in the air and on the ground to get this out as quickly as possible."

25. firefighting crews march down fire road

26. firefighter walks by burned out truck

27. firefighter uses hose to put out spot fires

28. burned van in foreground while firefighters work in background

29. pan down from firefighter's face to stream of water hitting ground

30. ground smoldering in front of firefighters

31. wide shot of PG&E working to restore power to the area

32. close up shot of PG&E technician working on downed transformer

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus061340

A wind-whipped wildfire roared through a Northern California town threatened by a devastating blaze a year ago, wiping out more than 100 homes and businesses and forcing thousands of people to flee, authorities said Monday.

The fire seemed calm Sunday before gusts kicked up the flames that tore through neighborhoods in Lower Lake, a rural town about 90 miles north of San Francisco, officials said.

No one was injured, but it reached Main Street and burned the post office, a winery, an antiques store, a historic firehouse and the Habitat for Humanity office.

The blaze was one of 11 large wildfires in the state, where high temperatures and parched conditions brought on by a five-year drought raised the fire danger.

In central California, a 2-day-old wildfire destroyed 12 structures, damaged others and threatened 200 homes.

Last September, one of California's most destructive wildfires ravaged a series of small towns just a half-hour from Lower Lake, whose residents were forced to evacuate.

It killed four people, left a fifth missing and destroyed more than 1,300 homes in nearby communities.

The new fire struck in the heart in Lower Lake, a town of about 1,300 that draws working-class families and retirees with housing prices lower than the San Francisco Bay Area.

It broke out Saturday afternoon and exploded to nearly 5 square miles as it fed on bone-dry vegetation.

Besides the wind, 100-degree heat hindered firefighters struggling to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze.

Residents who thought conditions were calm earlier Sunday went on errands in town and came back to towering flames and smoke. Some used hoses or water from their pools to try to protect their houses.

At least 175 structures were destroyed. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant said more than 100 homes burned but didn't have the exact breakdown of residences, businesses and other buildings lost.

At least 1,500 more structures were threatened.

Lower Lake, California - August 15, 2016

1. no trespassing sign in front of smoldering remains of a home

2. Giberson stands next to his burned pickup truck

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Giberson - Lost House & Storage Facility

++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED++

"I haven't quite lost it yet over the whole thing. Pretty much my whole life was inside that building there."

4 . smoking foundation all that's left of another home

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jody Barnes - Lower Lake Resident (home was not destroyed)

++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED++

"It's so beyond tragic. There was no way to save these homes. They all burned in a row up there. The winery burned, places I've known for many years and knew the people who owned these places."

6. Water helicopter

7. Wide of water helicopter flying toward smoke

8 . firefighting crews march down fire road

9. ground smoldering in front of firefighters

10 Firefighter looks toward burning hillside

11 . SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Lowenthal, Public Information Officer - CAL FIRE

++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED++

"In this particular case, we had everything. We had grass burning. We had vegetation burning, homes, businesses, a fire that moved into downtown Lower Lake. So we had everything, propane tank explosions. It's really been a combined effort of our forces in the air and on the ground to get this out as quickly as possible."

12. Burning hillside

More California residents and businesses lost power Thursday as the state's biggest utility continued shutting of electricity to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires, but some businesses stayed open nonetheless.

Because of the dangerous weather in the forecast, Pacific Gas and Electric cut power to an estimated 2 million people in an area that spanned the San Francisco Bay Area, the wine country north of San Francisco, the agricultural Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills. By Thursday, the number of people in the dark was down to about 1.5 million.

Orinda, a wealthy suburb about 20 miles east of San Francisco, was among the communities that had its electricity cut early Thursday, prompting most of its downtown businesses to close shop.

Joe Wissmar and his wife were walking around downtown Orinda to see if any restaurants were open, but they were out of luck.

"You can't use a microwave. You can't use the fancy electric coffee maker," Wissmar said. You wander around the house and you're going to turn on the light in the bathroom so you can comb your hair. And at the last moment you realize you know, there's no electricity there's no lights anywhere."

Anytime Fitness decided to keep its doors open to gym members to use weights and equipment that don't require electricity.

"We may not have power. We may not have AC going on or anything like that. No treadmills. But the arrest equipment is still working," said gym manager Levi Muerset. "We have plenty of daylight streaming in through the windows as you might see. So we thought why don't we just open it for the day and let people come in and work out."

Gym member John Klotsche came to work out because his home and office didn't have power.

"Well, my office is completely without power ... my phones are down. Internet's down," Klotsche said. "I'm just kind of working through my cell phone today, responding to emails. And I'm in here getting a workout."

Hair salon Entourage on Brookwood was still serving clients it had previously scheduled, despite losing electricity.

"There was a lot of tragedy a couple years back. So I understand them wanting to take precautions as frustrating as it may be to a lot of people," said salon manager Chelsea Everitt.

Pacific Gas and Electric cast the blackouts as a matter of public safety, aimed at preventing the kind of blazes that have killed scores of people over the past couple of years, destroyed thousands of homes, and run up tens of billions of dollars in claims that drove the company into bankruptcy.

The fire danger spread to Southern California on Thursday as raging winds moved down the state.

Southern California Edison shut off electricity to about 12,000 people just outside Los Angeles, with wider blackouts possible.

Orinda, California - 10 October 2019

1. Cars drive past closed Orinda movie theater

2. Closed notice at movie ticket window

3. Closed notice at restaurant

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Wissmar, Orinda resident without power:

"You can't use a microwave. You can't use the fancy electric coffee maker. You wander around the house and you're going to turn on the light in the bathroom so you can comb your hair. And at the last moment you realize you know, there's no electricity there's no lights anywhere."

5. Levi Muerset shows treadmills that don't have power

6. Treadmill screen without power

7. Levi Muerset demos shoulder press

8. Shoulder press weights moving

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Levi Muerset, Anytime Fitness gym manager:

"Well we decided that, you know what, we may not have power. We may not have AC going on or anything like that. No treadmills. But the arrest equipment is still working. We have plenty of daylight streaming in through the windows as you might see. So we thought why don't we just open it for the day and let people come in and work out."

10. Weights going onto bench press bar

11. John Klotsche works out on bench press

12. SOUNDBITE (English) John Klotsche, Orinda resident:

"Well, my office is completely without power so it's pretty easy my phones are down. Internet's down. So drop the kids off at school. Fortunately, the schools are open and I'm just kind of working through my cell phone today, responding to emails. And I'm in here getting a workout."

13. Women working in Entourage on Brookwood hair salon without electricity

14. Hair stylist cuts man's hair

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Chelsea Everitt, hair salon manager:

"So we decided to stay open just to not inconvenience any of the clients we gave them the option if they needed to reschedule and were you know not wanting to come in and not get a blow dry or anything like that. We gave them the option to reschedule. But most of them actually wanted to come in still."

16. Chelsea Everitt sits at front desk of hair salon

17. Desktop screen without electricity

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Chelsea Everitt, hair salon manager:

"There was a lot of tragedy a couple years back. So I understand them wanting to take precautions as frustrating as it may be to a lot of people. It's safer than the alternative, which is a lot of tragedy that could happen."

19. Closed notice on business door

More than a dozen wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through California wine country Monday, destroying at least 1,500 homes and businesses and sending thousands fleeing as flames raged unchecked through high-end resorts, grocery stores and tree-lined neighborhoods.

The flames were burning "at explosive rates" because of 50 mph winds, said Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Fourteen large fires were burning north of San Francisco, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties. It was unusual to have so many fires take off at the same time, fire officials said, though October has generally been the most destructive time of year for California wildfires.

The ferocity of the flames forced authorities to focus primarily on getting people out safely, even if it meant abandoning structures to the fire. The fire area covered more than 100 square miles (160 square kilometers) over eight counties.

Some of the largest blazes were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. Those fires sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) away.

Fires also burned in Yuba, Butte and Nevada counties — all north of the state capital.

Napa, California - October 9, 2017

1. Signorello winery destroyed by wildfire

2. Fire burns around main entrance to gutted winery

3. Pan from pool and deck seating to burned winery

4. Fire burns up side of row of charred wine bottles

5. Close up of blackened wine bottles

6. Melted bottles on another rack

7. Private residence next to winery in flames

8. Smoking wooden fence in front of grape vines

Sonoma, California - October 9, 2017

9. Smoke fills air above Gundlach Bundschu Winery (pronounced gun-lock-bun-shoe)

10. Flames rising above Gunlach Bundschu

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"It's right behind the main office. It's working its way down the hillside. What can I say? It's slowly working its way in."

12. Smoke rises above Gunlach Bundschu vineyards

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"We had a fire truck come in. Gave us pointers on what to do and then they left and went on to another property. Other than that, we haven't seen anybody. There's so much going that the resources are short. Contractor brought his water truck in to stand by for us. We're hoping for the best."

14. Willis talks with contractor

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Willis, Maintenance Worker - Gundlach Bundschu Winery

"Everybody's been coming by wanting to help. There's not a whole bunch to do. They just keep coming by checking on us, offering us food, water, whatever. The community's been remarkable."

16. Scorched earth in front of Nicholson Ranch Winery

17. Owner's residence at Nicholson Ranch destroyed, winery was sparred

18. Dairy processing plant in wine country destroyed

19. Smoke rising from dairy farm

20. American flag flies in front of smoking vineyard

SHOTLIST:

AP TELEVISION

Guernville, Sonoma County, California

1. Woman and dog paddle down flooded street in canoe

2. Wide of flooded vineyard

3. Officials working on damage

4. Wide of truck removing debris from road

5. Close up of same

6. Family picks up damaged garage door

7: SOUNDBITE: (English) Mark Belhumer, Flood Victim:

"Could have been better by not coming up but it is what it is, you know. You deal with it. You move on."

8. Photographer takes picture from back of truck, pan to flooded street

9. Wide of flooded street with

10. Driving flooding shot

11. Debris jammed under bridge

12. Wide of smouldering house on fire

13. Guardsman watches fire

14. Wide of partially submerged van

15. Wide of partially submerged pick-up truck

16. Sign reading "flooded"

17. People cleaning up debris

AP TELEVISION

Near Collinsville, Sonoma County, California

18. Wide of firefighter driving sand bags to levee

19. Firefighters placing sand bags around levee

20. Wide of sandbags

21. Wide shot of sandbags and firefighters

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Stan Simi, Montezuma County Fire Chief:

"Yes, we are just trying to put some emergency repairs on the levee so we can get the residents back to in their homes right now; that's mainly what we are doing, we are getting a lot of help, we are doing a lot of sandbagging, we have to patch a number of areas where the levee's kind of eroded. But we hope by this evening we will have all of it taken care of and we will have all the residents back in their homes."

23. Flood damage, firefighter in background

24. Firefighters sandbagging levee

POOL

Napa, California

25. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger walks up to microphone

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Governor:

"As you all know now, Napa was four feet (1.3 metres) underwater and this created tremendous damage here. The damage was caused to more than 100 businesses that were affected by this, 1,500 families were affected, also wineries and infrastructure, and Highway 121 is closed we've heard for the next three months and it will be reopened. The early estimate of damage is approximately 15 million dollars here and we don't know yet what the damage is to private property. We are still looking into that."

27. Pan from Schwarzenegger to photographers

STORYLINE:

Residents of northern California focused their efforts on cleaning up a mess of mud and debris on Monday, swept into city streets and over roadways by two winter storms.

Meanwhile, the heavy rain moved into southern parts of the state, prompting flash flood watches for areas left blackened by recent wildfires.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties.

Schwarzenegger on Monday visited the heavily damaged city of Napa, parts of which remain four feet (1.3 metres) underwater.

He told reporters that more than 100 businesses and 1,500 families have been affected by the flooding in Napa.

Initial estimates put the damage throughout Northern California at more than 100 (m) million US dollars.

At least three deaths were blamed on the storm, caused by falling trees, including one on Sunday when a tree fell onto a woman's car on Highway 1, authorities said.

Although the storm hit the heart of California's wine country around Napa Valley, wine makers had already harvested the grape crop for the year, and the vines are now dormant.

Meanwhile, authorities continued to repair and monitor several levees that had either breached, cracked or overtopped from the San Francisco Bay area to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, causing flooding and evacuations of dozens of residents.

A break in the weather meant residents of Guerneville, along the Russian River, and other wine-country towns were able to focus on initial cleanup and damage estimates on Monday.

The Russian River at Guerneville had receded several feet after remaining at 41 feet (12 metres) for hours, 9 feet (3 metres) above flood stage.

Officials said it was unlikely water levels would fall below flood stage until Tuesday morning.

Mark Belhumer, who lives in Monte Rio, California and owns the Village Inn spent the day checking out the damage left behind.

The National Guard assisted with the clean up and the damage assessment.

And in Colinsville, Sonoma County, firefighters sandbagged a damaged levee in order to allow residents back into their properties.

Montezuma County fire chief Stan Simi told AP Television that parts of the levee had eroded.

Firefighters were hoping to resolve the problem by late on Monday and allow residents back into their homes.

SHOTLIST:

AP TELEVISION

Guernville, Sonoma County, California

1. Woman and dog paddle down flooded street in canoe

2. Wide of flooded vineyard

3. Flooded vineyard

4. Officials assess damage

5. Wide of truck removing debris from road

6. Close up of same

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mark Belhumer, Flood Victim:

"There's a lot of debris around - it's amazing what floats!"

8. Family picks up damaged garage door

9. Belhumer walks into garden area of Inn

10. Belhumer looks in damaged room

11. National Guard truck reverses

12. Photographer takes picture from back of truck, pan to flooded street

13. Wide of flooded street

14. Driving flooding shot

15. Debris jammed under bridge

16. Wide of smouldering house on fire

17. Close up of same

18. Guardsman watches fire

19. Wide of partially submerged van

20. Wide of partially submerged pick-up truck

21: SOUNDBITE: (English) Mark Belhumer, Flood Victim:

"Could have been better by not coming up but it is what it is, you know. You deal with it. You move on."

22. Sign reading "flooded"

23. Ground shot of people cleaning up debris

AP TELEVISION

Near Collinsville, Sonoma County, California

24. Wide of firefighter driving sand bags to levee

25. Wide of firefighters placing sand bags around levee

26. Close-up of firefighters placing sand bags around levee

27. Wide of sandbags

28. Wide shot of sandbags and firefighters

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Stan Simi, Montezuma County Fire Chief:

"Yeah, we are just trying to put some emergency repairs on the levee so we can get the residents back to in their homes right now; that's mainly what we are doing, we are getting a lot of help, we are doing a lot of sandbagging, we have to patch a number of areas where the levee's kind of eroded. But we hope by this evening we will have all of it taken care of and we will have all the residents back in their homes, and that's what we are working on right now."

30. Flood damage, firefighter in background

31. Firefighters sandbagging levee

POOL

Napa, California

32. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger walks up to microphone

33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Governor:

"As you all know now, Napa was four feet (1.3 metres) underwater and this created tremendous damage here. The damage was caused to more than 100 businesses that were affected by this, 1,500 families were affected, also wineries and infrastructure, and Highway 121 is closed we've heard for the next three months and it will be reopened. The early estimate of damage is approximately 15 million dollars here and we don't know yet what the damage is to private property. We are still looking into that."

34. Pan from Schwarzenegger during news conference to photographers

STORYLINE:

Residents of northern California focused their efforts on cleaning up a mess of mud and debris on Monday, swept into city streets and over roadways by two powerful winter storms.

Meanwhile, the heavy rain moved into southern parts of the state, prompting flash flood watches for areas left blackened by recent wildfires.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties.

Schwarzenegger on Monday visited the heavily damaged city of Napa, parts of which remain four feet (1.3 metres) underwater.

He told reporters that more than 100 businesses and 1,500 families have been affected by the flooding in Napa.

Initial estimates put the damage throughout Northern California at more than 100 (m) million US dollars.

At least three deaths were blamed on the storm, caused by falling trees, including one on Sunday when a tree fell onto a woman's car on Highway 1, authorities said.

Although the storm hit the heart of California's wine country around Napa Valley, wine makers had already harvested the grape crop for the year, and the vines are now dormant.

Meanwhile, authorities continued to repair and monitor several levees that had either breached, cracked or overtopped from the San Francisco Bay area to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, causing flooding and evacuations of dozens of residents.

A break in the weather meant residents of Guerneville, along the Russian River, and other wine-country towns were able to focus on initial cleanup and damage estimates on Monday.

The Russian River at Guerneville had receded several feet after remaining at 41 feet (12 metres) for hours, 9 feet (3 metres) above flood stage.

Officials said it was unlikely water levels would fall below flood stage until Tuesday morning.

Mark Belhumer, who lives in Monte Rio, California and owns the Village Inn spent the day checking out the damage left behind.

The National Guard assisted with the clean up and the damage assessment.

And in Colinsville, Sonoma County, firefighters sandbagged a damaged levee in order to allow residents back into their properties.

Montezuma County fire chief Stan Simi told AP Television that parts of the levee had eroded.

Firefighters were hoping to resolve the problem by late on Monday and allow residents back into their homes.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus125829

Firefighters in northern California are attacking a massive wildfire burning in Sonoma County's wine country ahead of another major wind event forecast for Tuesday night.

California's biggest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, cut off power to an estimated 2.5 million people in the northern part of the state over the weekend in yet another round of blackouts aimed at preventing windblown electrical equipment from sparking more fires. And more shut-offs are possible in the next few days.

The fire that broke out last week amid Sonoma County's vineyards and wineries north of San Francisco exploded to at least 103 square miles (267 square kilometers), destroying 96 buildings, including at least 40 homes, and threatening 80,000 more structures, authorities said.

Nearly 200,000 people were under evacuation orders, mostly from the city of Santa Rosa.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the weekend.

The biggest evacuation was in Sonoma County, where some people who were packing up and fleeing Sunday had done so two years ago, when devastating wildfires swept through Sonoma, Napa and neighboring counties, killing 44 people.

Hundreds of people arrived at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa by Sunday. Some came from nursing homes.

More than 300 people slept in an auditorium filled with cots and wheeled beds. Scores of others stayed in a separate building with their pets.

A historic attraction outside Healdsburg was lost Sunday when embers carried by wind sparked a blaze that engulfed the Soda Rock Winery. The buildings included a general store and post office founded in 1869.

Windsor, California - 28 October 2019

1. Various of firefighters hosing down hot spots by roadside

Santa Rosa, California - 28 October 2019

++COVERED++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"And so the message today was basically, 'Look the weather's changed. Let's get out there, let's engage safely and let's gain ground on this fire - to get people back in their homes as soon as we can."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Halle, spokesman California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection:

"I understand on a human level why people would want to stay in their house, but if you have an evacuation order, if you don't leave, you've already compromised firefighter safety."

Windsor, California - 28 October 2019

4. Various of firefighters hosing down hot spots by roadside

5. Pan of destroyed home with two chimneys standing

6. Fallen Pinot Noir Way road sign

7. Destroyed home

GRAPHIC: Officials say the blaze in Sonoma County has destroyed 96 buildings, including at least 40 homes."

Healdsburg, California - 28 October 2019

8. Burned out truck

9. Pan from smoky hot spot to burned out truck

10. Various of destroyed Soda Rock Winery

GRAPHIC: Embers carried by wind sparked a blaze that destroyed the Soda Rock Winery.

11. Soda Rock sign

12. Rubble of burned winery

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Katie Ambrosi, marketing director, Soda Rock Winery:

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

"What does this mean for the business, I mean really, that's one thing that comes up to mind. All the people who are supposed to come into work and can't come into work. All the weddings that are supposed to be scheduled here. And all these people who had these connections."

14. Wide view of destroyed Soda Rock Winery

SHOTLIST:

Rancho Bernardo, southern California

1. Wide of Steve Rubin walking through the remains of his house

2. Close up of Rubin's feet walking through rubble

3. Firefighter walking through remains

4. Various of Rubin shovelling through rubble

5. Rubin looking through rubble

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Steve Rubin, Rancho Bernardo home owner:

"This was a four-thousand square foot (372 square metres) house approximately, it was a gorgeous house with views of the canyon, beautifully landscaped, and now it's basically ash and rubble."

7. Various of Rubin looking through rubble

8. Rubin walking through rubble

9. Dishes and various remains from house

10. Chimney

11. Rubin pointing at rubble indicating where his dining room had been

12. Various rubble and remains of house items

13. Various of people looking through rubble

14. Mid of burnt out fridge

15. Children looking through rubble

16. Don Spencer looking through burned tool box

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Don Spencer, Rancho Bernardo home owner:

"What's worst of all is that you accumulate things that define your lifestyle, it's the way you live, it's what you do during the day, the books you read, the exercise, the exercise equipment you have, the showers, every little thing in your life, the security system in your house, that defines your life, and now we have to start a new life, a new lifestyle, that's the hardest thing."

18. People looking through burned debris

Julian, California

19. Various exteriors of Julian Caf� and Bakery

20. People cooking outside caf�

21. Close up of food being cooked in pan

22. People eating outside

23. Firefighters walking back to truck

24. Close up of generator

25. Close up of propane tanks, pan to people using gas to cook

26. People inside caf�

27. SOUNDBITE: (English) Christie Connel, Julian Caf� and Bakery:

"The community is in need here, we need more food up here, we need water, we have one case of water left up here. The firefighters are doing an awesome job but we need to keep supporting them and we need to get supplies here."

28. Close up of fire truck

29. Various of firefighters

30. Fire truck leaving

31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kevin Dubler, Julian Fire Department:

"It's tough to understand when there's no fire here why they can't come home but the fire could blow up and be racing through this town as soon as those winds pick up, and that's the reality we have to deal with and we hope they have some patience on that."

32. "Closed" sign on store

33. Store exterior

STORYLINE:

There were scenes of devastation across swathes of southern California on Thursday, after fierce wildfires swept across parts of the state, killing seven people and destroying hundreds of homes.

Since late Saturday, at least 15 fires have destroyed 1,500 homes in southern California and burned more than 482,000 acres (195,063 hectares) in a broad arc from Ventura County north of Los Angeles east to the San Bernardino National Forest and south to the U.S.-Mexico border.

In the upmarket neighbourhood of Rancho Bernardo, house after house has been reduced to a smouldering heap as residents began to return, finding their homes destroyed.

Evacuees were being allowed back into several neighbourhoods, and shelters were beginning to empty at an increasingly rapid rate.

Local assistance centres, with representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on hand, were being established in three of the county's most devastated communities: Fallbrook, Ramona and Rancho Bernardo.

On the fire lines, crews were making their first major progress, aided by a massive aerial assault and a break in the Santa Ana winds, which were all but gone on Thursday.

Record high temperatures of recent days also began succumbing to cooling sea breezes, and two fires that burned 21 homes in northern Los Angeles County were fully contained.

Losses total at least 1 (b) billion US dollars in San Diego County alone, and include a third of the state's avocado crop. The losses are half as high as those in Southern California's 2003 fires, but are certain to rise.

The more hopeful news on the fire lines came a day after residents in some hard-hit San Diego County neighbourhoods were allowed back to their streets, many lined with the wreckage of melted cars.

Steve Rubin discovered that only a brick chimney had survived the inferno that bore down on the neighbourhood of Rancho Bernardo on Monday morning.

Rubin told AP Television that "this was a four-thousand square foot house approximately, it was a gorgeous house with views of the canyon, beautifully landscaped, and now it's basically ash and rubble."

Thousands of people are also faced with the prospect of having to rebuild their lives.

Don Spencer is one such home owner.

"What's worst of all is that you accumulate things that define your lifestyle, it's the way you live, it's what you do during the day, the books you read, the exercise, the exercise equipment you have, the showers, every little thing in your life, the security system in your house that defines your life, and now we have to start a new life, a new lifestyle, that's the hardest thing," Spencer said.

More than 500,000 people were evacuated in San Diego County alone, part of the largest mass evacuation in California history.

Even with the slackening winds, the county remains a tinderbox. Firefighters cut fire lines around sections of the major blazes in San Diego County, but none of the four fires was more than 40 per cent contained. More than 8,500 homes were still threatened.

Towns scattered throughout the county remained on the edge of disaster, including the apple-picking region around Julian, where dozens of homes burned in 2003.

Christie Connel told AP Television the town was in dire need of supplies, "the community is in need here, we need more food up here, we need water, we have one case of water left up here, the firefighters are doing an awesome job but we need to keep supporting them and we need to get supplies here."

So far three people have been confirmed killed directly by the fires and another four charred bodies of migrants were being investigated.

Seven other people have died of various other causes after being evacuated, bringing the fire-related death toll to 14.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus124960

More California residents and businesses lost power Thursday as the state's biggest utility continued shutting of electricity to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires, but some businesses stayed open nonetheless.

Because of the dangerous weather in the forecast, PG&E cut power to an estimated 2 million people in an area that spanned the San Francisco Bay Area, the wine country north of San Francisco, the agricultural Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills. By Thursday, the number of people in the dark was down to about 1.5 million.

Orinda, a wealthy suburb about 20 miles east of San Francisco, was among the communities that had its electricity cut early Thursday, prompting most of its downtown businesses to close shop.

Joe Wissmar and his wife were walking around downtown Orinda to see if any restaurants were open, but they were out of luck.

"You can't use a microwave. You can't use the fancy electric coffee maker," Wissmar said. You wander around the house and you're going to turn on the light in the bathroom so you can comb your hair. And at the last moment you realize you know, there's no electricity there's no lights anywhere."

Hair salon Entourage on Brookwood was still serving clients it had previously scheduled, despite losing electricity.

"There was a lot of tragedy a couple years back. So I understand them wanting to take precautions as frustrating as it may be to a lot of people," said salon manager Chelsea Everitt.

Pacific Gas and Electric cast the blackouts as a matter of public safety, aimed at preventing the kind of blazes that have killed scores of people over the past couple of years, destroyed thousands of homes, and run up tens of billions of dollars in claims that drove the company into bankruptcy.

The fire danger spread to Southern California on Thursday as raging winds moved down the state. Southern California Edison shut off electricity to about 12,000 people just outside Los Angeles, with wider blackouts possible.

Orinda, California - 10 October 2019

1. Cars drive past closed Orinda movie theater

2. Closed notice at movie ticket window

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Wissmar, Orinda resident without power:

"You can't use a microwave. You can't use the fancy electric coffee maker. You wander around the house and you're going to turn on the light in the bathroom so you can comb your hair. And at the last moment you realize you know, there's no electricity there's no lights anywhere."

5. Women working in Entourage on Brookwood hair salon without electricity

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Chelsea Everitt, hair salon manager:

"So we decided to stay open just to not inconvenience any of the clients we gave them the option if they needed to reschedule and were you know not wanting to come in and not get a blow dry or anything like that. We gave them the option to reschedule. But most of them actually wanted to come in still."

7. Hair stylist cuts man's hair