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

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

It's a power outage waiting game for some parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pacific Gas & Electric had warned residents in some areas of heavily populated Alameda and Contra Costa Counties that power could go out there starting at noon Wednesday.

California's largest utility says as many as two million people will remain without power at least through Thursday as a precaution to protect against wildfires.

Several counties North of San Francisco, including Napa and Sonoma, did lose power in the early morning hours.

But thousands of people in the East Bay are still waiting.

Residents of the Oakland Hills, where a wildfire in 1991 killed 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes, spent the morning buying bottled water, getting cash and filling their cars with gas.

But noon came and went and the power in the area remained on.

PG&E later said wind gusts in the East Bay had not yet reached problematic speeds and delayed the planned power outage late Wednesday, although they are no longer giving an exact time for the turn off.

It was otherwise business as usual in the busy Montclair neighborhood at the foot of the Oakland Hills as restaurants  coffee shops and clothing stores remained open.

Some larger businesses, like grocery stores, rented large power generators in order to stay open once PG&E's electricity finally does goes out as expected.

Oakland, California - 9 October 2019

1. Montclair neighborhood at the foot of Oakland Hills

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Tianna Paschel, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"It's just kind of scary. It feels worse than Y2K. We don't know how long. We don't know if we're actually affected. My two kids, their school situation keeps moving every second. It's not clear if we need to pack for a week and go out of town or what to do. So I'm just trying to make sure we have water, food, charging stations and gas."

3. Paschel loads bottled water into car

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Tianna Paschel, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"You can't play around with the loss of life. I think that they are appropriately in hot water because of what has already happened and transpired over the last few seasons. For me, this is a major inconvenience in my life as a parent but also, if it saves a life, I'm not going to complain about it."

5. Large power generator trailer parked outside grocery store

6. Power cables run into grocery store

7. Man pushed grocery cart out of store

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Gochman, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"Just picking up some last minute water supplies because I realize the implications of the power being off. I just heard that actually tap water may be off when the power goes off. So want to prepare. We don't know how many days it's going to be."

9. Gochman loads cases of bottled water into car

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Gochman, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"The danger of wildfires is serious. On the other hand, turning off the power is going to probably kill some people, elderly people, people with medical issues so yeah it's hard to know. But they need to fix their infrastructure that's for sure."

11. Another customer puts bag of ice in his trunk

12. Pedestrians walk by businesses still open

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Naomi Lockyer, Oakland Clothing Store Owner (in power outage zone):

"Oh it's horrible right? If there's no power we can't be open. We could be without sales for one day, two days, three days. Also, I have people coming into work because I can't stay all day. So if I have someone coming into work and then they've made the trip to work and then I have to close because the power is out, I still have to pay them so it's a tough situation."

14. Lockyer folds clothes

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Naomi Lockyer, Oakland Clothing Store Owner (in power outage zone):

"It seems kind of like punishment to me for everyone's suing them because of the fires, which I get, but it seems like they're going a bit overboard."

16. Pinwheel outside store spins in the wind

It's a power outage waiting game for some parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pacific Gas & Electric had warned residents in some areas of heavily populated Alameda and Contra Costa Counties that power could go out there starting at noon Wednesday.

California's largest utility says as many as two million people will remain without power at least through Thursday as a precaution to protect against wildfires.

Several counties North of San Francisco, including Napa and Sonoma, did lose power in the early morning hours.

But thousands of people in the East Bay are still waiting.

Residents of the Oakland Hills, where a wildfire in 1991 killed 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes, spent the morning buying bottled water, getting cash and filling their cars with gas.

But noon came and went and the power in the area remained on.

PG&E later said wind gusts in the East Bay had not yet reached problematic speeds and delayed the planned power outage late Wednesday, although they are no longer giving an exact time for the turn off.

It was otherwise business as usual in the busy Montclair neighborhood at the foot of the Oakland Hills as restaurants  coffee shops and clothing stores remained open.

Some larger businesses, like grocery stores, rented large power generators in order to stay open once PG&E's electricity finally does goes out as expected.

Oakland, California - 9 October 2019

1. Montclair neighborhood at the foot of Oakland Hills

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Tianna Paschel, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"It's just kind of scary. It feels worse than Y2K. We don't know how long. We don't know if we're actually affected. My two kids, their school situation keeps moving every second. It's not clear if we need to pack for a week and go out of town or what to do. So I'm just trying to make sure we have water, food, charging stations and gas."

3. Paschel loads bottled water into car

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Tianna Paschel, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"You can't play around with the loss of life. I think that they are appropriately in hot water because of what has already happened and transpired over the last few seasons. For me, this is a major inconvenience in my life as a parent but also, if it saves a life, I'm not going to complain about it."

5. Large power generator trailer parked outside grocery store

6. Power cables run into grocery store

7. Man pushed grocery cart out of store

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Gochman, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"Just picking up some last minute water supplies because I realize the implications of the power being off. I just heard that actually tap water may be off when the power goes off. So want to prepare. We don't know how many days it's going to be."

9. Gochman loads cases of bottled water into car

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Gochman, Oakland Resident (living in power outage zone):

"The danger of wildfires is serious. On the other hand, turning off the power is going to probably kill some people, elderly people, people with medical issues so yeah it's hard to know. But they need to fix their infrastructure that's for sure."

11. Another customer puts bag of ice in his trunk

12. Pedestrians walk by businesses still open

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Naomi Lockyer, Oakland Clothing Store Owner (in power outage zone):

"Oh it's horrible right? If there's no power we can't be open. We could be without sales for one day, two days, three days. Also, I have people coming into work because I can't stay all day. So if I have someone coming into work and then they've made the trip to work and then I have to close because the power is out, I still have to pay them so it's a tough situation."

14. Lockyer folds clothes

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Naomi Lockyer, Oakland Clothing Store Owner (in power outage zone):

"It seems kind of like punishment to me for everyone's suing them because of the fires, which I get, but it seems like they're going a bit overboard."

16. Pinwheel outside store spins in the wind

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

California's biggest utility cut power to more than a million people Wednesday for what could be days on end in the most sweeping effort in state history to prevent wildfires caused by windblown power lines.

The unpopular move sparked a run on supplies at stores and came after two years of catastrophic fires sent Pacific Gas & Electric into bankruptcy and forced it to take more aggressive steps to prevent blazes.

The drastic measure caused a wave of impacts, from long lines at supermarkets and hardware stores to backups at traffic lights that had gone dark.

Schools and universities canceled classes, offices were closed and many businesses were shuttered.

Friedman's Home Improvement store in Sonoma lost power Wednesday, but remained open with a limited amount electricity from generators.

Employees with flashlights and head lamps took customers into the darkened store to buy batteries, power cords and flashlights. Electrical generators were sold out.

Sonoma resident Rick Lachmiller came to Friedman's Wednesday morning to buy extension cords for his generator after his home lost power around 1 am.

"People have refrigerators full of food. Restaurants have restaurants full of food. And a lot of them don't have backup generators. It leaves this whole community scrambling around trying to save their food or their job or whatever it is," Lachmiller said.

Store president and co-owner Barry Friedman, said it was a challenge to serve its customers and helps its employees, many of whom have childcare issues because schools are closed.

Judy Fontana, who works at a catering company, was one of many residents working on laptops at an auditorium at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall because her home and office didn't have electricity.

"Wind is going to happen, and now we're going to have days and days with inconvenience and this is not sustainable," Fontana said.  "We're all losing money. A lot of people are impacted. A lot of businesses are closed today because there's no power. So it's affecting a lot more than anyone thought it would."

Kathy Squizzato and her husband Raymond Segat were visiting Sonoma Valley from Vancouver and did not know about the shutoffs until after they arrived. They were drinking wine at a tasting room off the Sonoma Plaza.

"We didn't know anything about the power outage, so this morning we changed all our plans because we don't have enough gas in the car," Squizzato said. "We decided to cancel everything, walk down into town here and see what's happening. And luckily for us there's a wine tasting area, Zina Hyde, open."

More than 500,000 customers in Northern California were without power, the utility said, and about 300,000 more outages were planned later to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires during winds forecast to build. About 2 million people were expected to be affected for up to several days.

The utility planned to shut off power in parts of 34 northern and central California counties to reduce the chance of fierce winds knocking down or toppling trees into power lines during a siege of dry, gusty weather.

Gusts of 35 mph to 45 mph (56-72 kph) were forecast to sweep a vast swath of the state, from the San Francisco Bay Area to the agricultural Central Valley and especially in the Sierra Nevada foothills, where a November wildfire blamed on PG&E transmission

Sonoma, California. - 9 October 2019

1. Wide view of cars driving through intersection with traffic lights off

2. Close view of traffic lights not working

3. Wide view of closed gas station

4. Close view of closed sign posted on restaurant front door

5. Exterior of Friedman's Home Improvement store

6. Store sign with generator in background

7. Backup generator running outside store

8. Friedman's salesperson uses flashlight to help customer find batteries

9. Employee answering phone in the dark

10. Cashier checks out customer in darkened store.

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Barry Friedman, President and co owner, Friedman's:

"We do have a backup generator, and the generator only operates the point of sale. We do want to be open for our customers. So we actually have our team members escorting through customers with flashlights to ensure that they are able to get what they need."

12. Customers line up to enter store

13. Cashier checks out customer in darkened store

14. Rick Lachmiller looks for extension cords with phone light in dark store

15. Rick Lachmiller outside store shows extension cords he bought

16. Close view of extension cords

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Rick Lachmiller, Sonoma resident:

"People have refrigerators full of food. Restaurants have restaurants full of food. And a lot of them don't have backup generators. It leaves this whole community scrambling around trying to save their food or their job or whatever it is."

18. Various of residents working on laptops at resource charging center

19. Close view of power cords plugged into power strip

20. Ruby Fontana working on laptop in charging center

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Ruby Fontana, Sonoma resident:

"Wind is going to happen, and now we're going to have days and days with inconvenience and this is not sustainable. We're all losing money. A lot of people are impacted. A lot of businesses are closed today because there's no power. So it's affecting a lot more than anyone thought it would."

22. Restaurant manager pours wine for Kathy Squizzato and husband Raymond Segat

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Kathy Squizzato, Canadian tourist:

"We didn't know anything about the power outage, so this morning we changed all our plans because we don't have enough gas in the car. We decided to cancel everything, walk down into town here and see what's happening. And luckily for us there's a wine tasting area, Zina Hyde, open."

24. Close view of restaurant sign and dining area

California's biggest utility cut power to more than a million people Wednesday for what could be days on end in the most sweeping effort in state history to prevent wildfires caused by windblown power lines.

The unpopular move sparked a run on supplies at stores and came after two years of catastrophic fires sent Pacific Gas & Electric into bankruptcy and forced it to take more aggressive steps to prevent blazes.

The drastic measure caused a wave of impacts, from long lines at supermarkets and hardware stores to backups at traffic lights that had gone dark.

Schools and universities canceled classes, offices were closed and many businesses were shuttered.

Friedman's Home Improvement store in Sonoma lost power Wednesday, but remained open with a limited amount electricity from generators.

Employees with flashlights and head lamps took customers into the darkened store to buy batteries, power cords and flashlights. Electrical generators were sold out.

Sonoma resident Rick Lachmiller came to Friedman's Wednesday morning to buy extension cords for his generator after his home lost power around 1 am.

"People have refrigerators full of food. Restaurants have restaurants full of food. And a lot of them don't have backup generators.

It leaves this whole community scrambling around trying to save their food or their job or whatever it is," Lachmiller said.

Store president and co-owner Barry Friedman, said it was a challenge to serve its customers and helps its employees, many of whom have childcare issues because schools are closed.

Ruby Fontana, who works at a catering company, was one of many residents working on laptops at an auditorium at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall because her home and office didn't have electricity.

"Wind is going to happen, and now we're going to have days and days with inconvenience and this is not sustainable," Fontana said.  "We're all losing money. A lot of people are impacted. A lot of businesses are closed today because there's no power. So it's affecting a lot more than anyone thought it would."

Kathy Squizzato and her husband Raymond Segat were visiting Sonoma Valley from Vancouver and did not know about the shutoffs until after they arrived. They were drinking wine at a tasting room off the Sonoma Plaza.

"We didn't know anything about the power outage, so this morning we changed all our plans because we don't have enough gas in the car," Squizzato said. "We decided to cancel everything, walk down into town here and see what's happening. And luckily for us there's a wine tasting area, Zina Hyde, open."

More than 500,000 customers in Northern California were without power, the utility said, and about 300,000 more outages were planned later to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires during winds forecast to build.

About 2 million people were expected to be affected for up to several days.

The utility planned to shut off power in parts of 34 northern and central California counties to reduce the chance of fierce winds knocking down or toppling trees into power lines during a siege of dry, gusty weather.

Gusts of 35 mph to 45 mph (56-72 kph) were forecast to sweep a vast swath of the state, from the San Francisco Bay Area to the agricultural Central Valley and especially in the Sierra Nevada foothills, where a November wildfire blamed on PG&E transmission

Sonoma, California. - 9 October 2019

1. Wide view of cars driving through intersection with traffic lights off

2. Close view of traffic lights not working

3. Restaurant manager pours wine for Kathy Squizzato and husband Raymond Segat

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kathy Squizzato, Canadian tourist:

"We didn't know anything about the power outage, so this morning we changed all our plans because we don't have enough gas in the car. We decided to cancel everything, walk down into town here and see what's happening. And luckily for us there's a wine tasting area, Zina Hyde, open."

5. Close view of restaurant sign and dining area

6. Exterior of Friedman's Home Improvement store

7. Store sign with generator in background

8. Friedman's salesperson uses flashlight to help customer find batteries

9. Backup generator running outside store

10. Cashier checks out customer in darkened store.

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Barry Friedman, President and co owner, Friedman's:

"We do have a backup generator, and the generator only operates the point of sale. We do want to be open for our customers. So we actually have our team members escorting through customers with flashlights to ensure that they are able to get what they need."

12. Rick Lachmiller looks for extension cords with phone light in dark store

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Rick Lachmiller, Sonoma resident:

"People have refrigerators full of food. Restaurants have restaurants full of food. And a lot of them don't have backup generators. It leaves this whole community scrambling around trying to save their food or their job or whatever it is."

14. Various of residents working on laptops at resource charging center

15. Ruby Fontana working on laptop in charging center

16. Close view of power cords plugged into power strip

++PARTIALLY COVERED++

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Ruby Fontana, Sonoma resident:

"A lot of people are impacted. A lot of businesses are closed today because there's no power. So it's affecting a lot more than anyone thought it would."

18. Close view of closed sign posted on restaurant front door

California's biggest utility cut power to more than a million people Wednesday for what could be days on end in the most sweeping effort in state history to prevent wildfires caused by windblown power lines.

The unpopular move sparked a run on supplies at stores and came after two years of catastrophic fires sent Pacific Gas & Electric into bankruptcy and forced it to take more aggressive steps to prevent blazes.

The drastic measure caused a wave of impacts, from long lines at supermarkets and hardware stores to backups at traffic lights that had gone dark.

Schools and universities canceled classes, offices were closed and many businesses were shuttered.

Friedman's Home Improvement store in Sonoma lost power Wednesday, but remained open with a limited amount electricity from generators.

Employees with flashlights and head lamps took customers into the darkened store to buy batteries, power cords and flashlights. Electrical generators were sold out.

Sonoma resident Rick Lachmiller came to Friedman's Wednesday morning to buy extension cords for his generator after his home lost power around 1 am.

"People have refrigerators full of food. Restaurants have restaurants full of food. And a lot of them don't have backup generators. It leaves this whole community scrambling around trying to save their food or their job or whatever it is," Lachmiller said.

Store president and co-owner Barry Friedman, said it was a challenge to serve its customers and helps its employees, many of whom have childcare issues because schools are closed.

Ruby Fontana, who works at a catering company, was one of many residents working on laptops at an auditorium at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall because her home and office didn't have electricity.

"Wind is going to happen, and now we're going to have days and days with inconvenience and this is not sustainable," Fontana said.  "We're all losing money. A lot of people are impacted. A lot of businesses are closed today because there's no power. So it's affecting a lot more than anyone thought it would."

Kathy Squizzato and her husband Raymond Segat were visiting Sonoma Valley from Vancouver and did not know about the shutoffs until after they arrived. They were drinking wine at a tasting room off the Sonoma Plaza.

"We didn't know anything about the power outage, so this morning we changed all our plans because we don't have enough gas in the car," Squizzato said. "We decided to cancel everything, walk down into town here and see what's happening. And luckily for us there's a wine tasting area, Zina Hyde, open."

More than 500,000 customers in Northern California were without power, the utility said, and about 300,000 more outages were planned later to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires during winds forecast to build. About 2 million people were expected to be affected for up to several days.

The utility planned to shut off power in parts of 34 northern and central California counties to reduce the chance of fierce winds knocking down or toppling trees into power lines during a siege of dry, gusty weather.

Gusts of 35 mph to 45 mph (56-72 kph) were forecast to sweep a vast swath of the state, from the San Francisco Bay Area to the agricultural Central Valley and especially in the Sierra Nevada foothills, where a November wildfire blamed on PG&E transmission

Sonoma, California. - 9 October 2019

1. Wide view of cars driving through intersection with traffic lights off

2. Close view of traffic lights not working

3. Wide view of closed gas station

4. Close view of closed sign posted on restaurant front door

5. Exterior of Friedman's Home Improvement store

6. Store sign with generator in background

7. Backup generator running outside store

8. Friedman's salesperson uses flashlight to help customer find batteries

9. Employee answering phone in the dark

10. Cashier checks out customer in darkened store.

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Barry Friedman, President and co owner, Friedman's:

"We do have a backup generator, and the generator only operates the point of sale. We do want to be open for our customers. So we actually have our team members escorting through customers with flashlights to ensure that they are able to get what they need."

12. Customers line up to enter store

13. Cashier checks out customer in darkened store

14. Rick Lachmiller looks for extension cords with phone light in dark store

15. Rick Lachmiller outside store shows extension cords he bought

16. Close view of extension cords

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Rick Lachmiller, Sonoma resident:

"People have refrigerators full of food. Restaurants have restaurants full of food. And a lot of them don't have backup generators. It leaves this whole community scrambling around trying to save their food or their job or whatever it is."

18. Various of residents working on laptops at resource charging center

19. Close view of power cords plugged into power strip

20. Ruby Fontana working on laptop in charging center

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Ruby Fontana, Sonoma resident:

"Wind is going to happen, and now we're going to have days and days with inconvenience and this is not sustainable. We're all losing money. A lot of people are impacted. A lot of businesses are closed today because there's no power. So it's affecting a lot more than anyone thought it would."

22. Restaurant manager pours wine for Kathy Squizzato and husband Raymond Segat

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Kathy Squizzato, Canadian tourist:

"We didn't know anything about the power outage, so this morning we changed all our plans because we don't have enough gas in the car. We decided to cancel everything, walk down into town here and see what's happening. And luckily for us there's a wine tasting area, Zina Hyde, open."

24. Close view of restaurant sign and dining area

LEADIN :

California Wine Country is working to lure tourists back to its wineries, hotels and restaurants as it recovers from devastating wildfires.

More than 40 people were killed, nearly 9,000 buildings destroyed and the wine tourism shut down, which impacted hugely on the region's main source of revenue.

STORYLINE :

Tourists board the Napa Valley wine train, heading to see the vineyards and tasting rooms of california wine country.

"The train is running. The wine is flowing. And we're on our way" says Jim Kilpatrick, a visitor from Texas.

The tourists are a welcome sight for a region still recovering from devastating wildfires that shut down wineries, hotels and restaurants during their busiest month.

"In spite of the local disasters that have occurred in the area, I've decided to come support Napa and stay Napa Strong" says Tanya Thomas, wine country tourist.

The wildfire outbreak in early October killed more than 40 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes and other buildings in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Despite widespread devastation, only a small number of the region's 1,200 wineries were badly damaged.

And there was little impact to wine production since 90 percent of the grapes were picked before the fires broke out.

"No wineries really lost much wine from this vintage. It was really more of the impact the fires had on people's psyches. They thought the Napa Valley was burning and they canceled their trips. That's really been the most impact for us" explains Michael Honig, chairman of Napa Valley Vintners.

Most vineyards were spared due to their high moisture content, and some even helped save surrounding structures by acting as fire breaks.

But many operators are now grappling with other long-term effects from the fires: making up for losses from being closed at the busiest time of year, assessing the impact of smoke and other environmental damage on this year's vintage, and persuading tourists to return after weeks of news coverage of the fires' devastation.

Hotels have seen a steep decline in guests. Many rooms are now filled with fire evacuees and emergency responders who pay discounted rates.

Bill Blum is the manager at MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa in Sonoma.

"Spend money at our local restaurants and shops. Buy Sonoma wine. Stay at our hotels. That's really one of the best ways you can really help."

Frank Figone says his olive oil business was shut down for nine days. Many of his clients' olive orchards were destroyed. And his retail shop is seeing a lot less foot traffic.

"We always save for the rainy day. But in this case we're not really saving for firestorms. And it's had a tremendous financial impact on us."

Higher-end restaurants such as Sonoma's Cafe La Haye are also feeling squeezed by the loss of out-of-town visitors.

"Those people that lost their homes still need their incomes, so tourism is a way to help those fire victims. And nobody should be afraid to visit and see the beauty that surrounds us here.'" says owner Saul Gropman.

Now the push is on to lure visitors back to the three counties, which together saw more than $3.7 billion in tourism spending in 2016.

The state's tourism commission, Visit California, is spending $2 million on an advertising campaign to encourage visitors to return.

Napa, California - Nov. 1, 2017

1. Napa Valley Wine Train arrives at station

2. Tourists board wine train

3. Tourists sip wine, eat in wine train

4. Couple clink wine glasses

5. Server takes orders from tourists on wine train

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jim Kilpatrick, tourist from Texas (script below)

"The train is running. The wine is flowing. And we're on our way."

St. Helena, California - Nov. 1, 2017

7. Wine train tourists take vineyard tour at V. Sattui Winery

8. Tourists walking in vineyard

9. Tourists walk toward winery

10. Guests taste wine at winery bar

11. Tanya Thomas tastes wine at bar

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Tanya Thomas, wine country tourist

"In spite of the local disasters that have occurred in the area, I've decided to come support Napa and stay Napa Strong."

Santa Rosa, California - Oct. 9, 2017

13. Various of houses burning

Santa Rosa, California - Nov. 10, 2017

14. Aerial footage of destroyed homes in Santa Rosa

Napa, California - Oct. 10, 2017

15. Various of charred remains of Signorello Winery

16. Burned wine bottles

Rutherford, California - Nov. 1, 2017

17. Drone video of Honig Winery

18. Michael Honig points out grapes in vineyard

19. Wine grapes hanging on vine

20. Honig in warehouse with barrels of wine

21. Worker uses rake to put pressed grapes in container

22. Rake combing pressed grapes

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Honig, chairman of Napa Valley Vintners, CEO of Honig Vineyard and Winery

"No wineries really lost much wine from this vintage. It was really more of the impact the fires had on people's psyches. They thought the Napa Valley was burning and they cancelled their trips. That's really been the most impact for us."

24. Drone shot of vineyards in Napa Valley

25. Two men taste wine in nearly empty tasting room patio

26. Guests talk with wine server

Sonoma, California - Oct. 31, 2017

27. Bill Blum shows deluxe suite at MacArthur Place Hotel

28. Blum walks outside suite to bathtub

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Bill Blum, manager, MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa

"Spend money at our local restaurants and shops. Buy Sonoma wine. Stay at our hotels. That's really one of the best ways you can really help, get the destination back on track."

30. Frank Figone uses forklift to move crate of olives

31. Olives pour out of crate into olive oil processor

32. Olives moving up conveyer belt on processor

33. Figone shows bottles of family olive oil

34. Close-up of Figone olive oil bottles

35. Figone looks at olives moving through crushing machine

36. Crushed olives stirred in machinery

37. SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Figone, owner of Figone's Olive Oil Co.

"We always save for the rainy day. But in this case we're not really saving for firestorms. And it's had a tremendous financial impact on us."

38. Saul Gropman sets counter at Cafe La Haye

39. Cook fills bowls with dessert

40. SOUNDBITE (English) Saul Gropman, owner of Cafe La Haye

"Those people that lost their homes still need their incomes, so tourism is a way to help those fire victims."

41. Cook uses blow torch device on bowls of dessert

42. SOUNDBITE (English) Saul Gropman, owner of Cafe La Haye

"Amongst the devastation there is still so much beauty here in Sonoma Valley and around Sonoma and Napa. And nobody should be afraid to visit and see the beauty that surrounds us here."

St. Helena, California - Nov. 1, 2017

43. Wine train tourists in tasting room of V. Sattui winery

44. Jim Kilpatrick drinks glass of wine

45. Tour guide talks to guests

46. Couple clinks glasses before drinking

Napa, California - Nov. 1, 2017

47. Welcome to Napa Valley road sign

LEADIN :

California Wine Country is working to lure tourists back to its wineries, hotels and restaurants as it recovers from devastating wildfires.

More than 40 people were killed, nearly 9,000 buildings destroyed and the wine tourism shut down, which impacted hugely on the region's main source of revenue.

STORYLINE :

Tourists board the Napa Valley wine train, heading to see the vineyards and tasting rooms of california wine country.

"The train is running. The wine is flowing. And we're on our way" says Jim Kilpatrick, a visitor from Texas.

The tourists are a welcome sight for a region still recovering from devastating wildfires that shut down wineries, hotels and restaurants during their busiest month.

"In spite of the local disasters that have occurred in the area, I've decided to come support Napa and stay Napa Strong" says Tanya Thomas, wine country tourist.

The wildfire outbreak in early October killed more than 40 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes and other buildings in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Despite widespread devastation, only a small number of the region's 1,200 wineries were badly damaged.

And there was little impact to wine production since 90 percent of the grapes were picked before the fires broke out.

"No wineries really lost much wine from this vintage. It was really more of the impact the fires had on people's psyches. They thought the Napa Valley was burning and they canceled their trips. That's really been the most impact for us" explains Michael Honig, chairman of Napa Valley Vintners.

Most vineyards were spared due to their high moisture content, and some even helped save surrounding structures by acting as fire breaks.

But many operators are now grappling with other long-term effects from the fires: making up for losses from being closed at the busiest time of year, assessing the impact of smoke and other environmental damage on this year's vintage, and persuading tourists to return after weeks of news coverage of the fires' devastation.

Hotels have seen a steep decline in guests. Many rooms are now filled with fire evacuees and emergency responders who pay discounted rates.

Bill Blum is the manager at MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa in Sonoma.

"Spend money at our local restaurants and shops. Buy Sonoma wine. Stay at our hotels. That's really one of the best ways you can really help."

Frank Figone says his olive oil business was shut down for nine days. Many of his clients' olive orchards were destroyed. And his retail shop is seeing a lot less foot traffic.

"We always save for the rainy day. But in this case we're not really saving for firestorms. And it's had a tremendous financial impact on us."

Higher-end restaurants such as Sonoma's Cafe La Haye are also feeling squeezed by the loss of out-of-town visitors.

"Those people that lost their homes still need their incomes, so tourism is a way to help those fire victims. And nobody should be afraid to visit and see the beauty that surrounds us here.'" says owner Saul Gropman.

Now the push is on to lure visitors back to the three counties, which together saw more than $3.7 billion in tourism spending in 2016.

The state's tourism commission, Visit California, is spending $2 million on an advertising campaign to encourage visitors to return.

Napa, California - Nov. 1, 2017

1. Napa Valley Wine Train arrives at station

2. Tourists board wine train

3. Tourists sip wine, eat in wine train

4. Couple clink wine glasses

5. Server takes orders from tourists on wine train

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jim Kilpatrick, tourist from Texas (script below)

"The train is running. The wine is flowing. And we're on our way."

St. Helena, California - Nov. 1, 2017

7. Wine train tourists take vineyard tour at V. Sattui Winery

8. Tourists walking in vineyard

9. Tourists walk toward winery

10. Guests taste wine at winery bar

11. Tanya Thomas tastes wine at bar

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Tanya Thomas, wine country tourist

"In spite of the local disasters that have occurred in the area, I've decided to come support Napa and stay Napa Strong."

Santa Rosa, California - Oct. 9, 2017

13. Various of houses burning

Santa Rosa, California - Nov. 10, 2017

14. Aerial footage of destroyed homes in Santa Rosa

Napa, California - Oct. 10, 2017

15. Various of charred remains of Signorello Winery

16. Burned wine bottles

Rutherford, California - Nov. 1, 2017

17. Drone video of Honig Winery

18. Michael Honig points out grapes in vineyard

19. Wine grapes hanging on vine

20. Honig in warehouse with barrels of wine

21. Worker uses rake to put pressed grapes in container

22. Rake combing pressed grapes

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Honig, chairman of Napa Valley Vintners, CEO of Honig Vineyard and Winery

"No wineries really lost much wine from this vintage. It was really more of the impact the fires had on people's psyches. They thought the Napa Valley was burning and they cancelled their trips. That's really been the most impact for us."

24. Drone shot of vineyards in Napa Valley

25. Two men taste wine in nearly empty tasting room patio

26. Guests talk with wine server

Sonoma, California - Oct. 31, 2017

27. Bill Blum shows deluxe suite at MacArthur Place Hotel

28. Blum walks outside suite to bathtub

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Bill Blum, manager, MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa

"Spend money at our local restaurants and shops. Buy Sonoma wine. Stay at our hotels. That's really one of the best ways you can really help, get the destination back on track."

30. Frank Figone uses forklift to move crate of olives

31. Olives pour out of crate into olive oil processor

32. Olives moving up conveyer belt on processor

33. Figone shows bottles of family olive oil

34. Close-up of Figone olive oil bottles

35. Figone looks at olives moving through crushing machine

36. Crushed olives stirred in machinery

37. SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Figone, owner of Figone's Olive Oil Co.

"We always save for the rainy day. But in this case we're not really saving for firestorms. And it's had a tremendous financial impact on us."

38. Saul Gropman sets counter at Cafe La Haye

39. Cook fills bowls with dessert

40. SOUNDBITE (English) Saul Gropman, owner of Cafe La Haye

"Those people that lost their homes still need their incomes, so tourism is a way to help those fire victims."

41. Cook uses blow torch device on bowls of dessert

42. SOUNDBITE (English) Saul Gropman, owner of Cafe La Haye

"Amongst the devastation there is still so much beauty here in Sonoma Valley and around Sonoma and Napa. And nobody should be afraid to visit and see the beauty that surrounds us here."

St. Helena, California - Nov. 1, 2017

43. Wine train tourists in tasting room of V. Sattui winery

44. Jim Kilpatrick drinks glass of wine

45. Tour guide talks to guests

46. Couple clinks glasses before drinking

Napa, California - Nov. 1, 2017

47. Welcome to Napa Valley road sign

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