Layna Rivas returned to her home Thursday to find nothing but smoldering rubble after a massive Northern California wildfire burned across her property, killing her chickens and snatching her dream of creating an artists' community in the mountains.

Thousands of people have been driven from their homes by the blaze that has chewed through more than 100 square miles of dry brush and trees.

The flames mowed down some properties and left others untouched near Clearlake Oaks, California, about 100 miles north of San Francisco.

Forty-three homes have been destroyed with 13,000 people ordered or warned to evacuate.

"It's hard to know what's the sign or what sign to look for, what's it all mean?" Rivas wondered as she picked through the rubble of her home that she was turning into a retreat for artists and musicians. "It rages one side and rages here and takes away your home and not another home and it's hard, it's hard to decipher all that but just going to have to keep going with the grace of God."

Firefighters had the blaze at least 40 percent contained by late Thursday. It is the largest of 23 fires statewide and takes up nearly a third of the 10,000 firefighters dispatched in drought-stricken California.

Layna Rivas returned to her home Thursday to find nothing but smoldering rubble after a massive Northern California wildfire burned across her property, killing her chickens and snatching her dream of creating an artists' community in the mountains.

Thousands of people have been driven from their homes by the blaze that has chewed through more than 100 square miles of dry brush and trees.

The flames mowed down some properties and left others untouched near Clearlake Oaks, California, about 100 miles north of San Francisco.

Forty-three homes have been destroyed with 13,000 people ordered or warned to evacuate.

"It's hard to know what's the sign or what sign to look for, what's it all mean?" Rivas wondered as she picked through the rubble of her home that she was turning into a retreat for artists and musicians. "It rages one side and rages here and takes away your home and not another home and it's hard, it's hard to decipher all that but just going to have to keep going with the grace of God."

Firefighters had the blaze at least 40 percent contained by late Thursday. It is the largest of 23 fires statewide and takes up nearly a third of the 10,000 firefighters dispatched in drought-stricken California.

AP TELEVISION

Clearlake Oaks, California – August 6, 2015

1. Layna Rivas walks on her property where she lived and had been creating an artists community in the mountains, pointing out where a music studio once stood with a piano, hoisting piano from ashes

2. Burned rubble of studio building

3. Rivas walks up stairs that now lead to nowhere

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Layna Rivas, lost home to wildfire:

"There was a music studio, made out of straw bale, and the inside was all plaster finished and it even had gold lining in it. A beautiful baby grand sat right in the middle overlooking this valley and it was beautiful."

5. Various of burned structures, Rivas and friend picking through rubble

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Layna Rivas, lost home to wildfire:

"It's hard to know what's the sign or what sign to look for, what's it all mean? It rages one side and rages here and takes away your home and not another home and it's hard, it's hard to decipher all that but just going to have to keep going with the grace of God."

7. Rivas digging through rubble

8. Various of burned truck on property

9. Rivas walking her property, pointing out where her kitchen had been (UPSOUND: "This was my kitchen … ")

10. Various of rubble that was her kitchen

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Layna Rivas, lost home to wildfire:

"Keep on keepin' on, and to all those other families out there, my heart goes out to you, as well. We feel you. We are all in this together."

12. Rivas and friend walking on rubble of home

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus035966

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus035966

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

AP TELEVISION

Clearlake, California – August 5, 2015

1. Various of fire trucks, smoldering trees, burnt earth

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

++SOUNDBITE COVERED BY PREVIOUS SHOT++

"A lot of fire deep seeded that's just smoldering on the ground so what happens during the day, especially when the winds come up is those fires will start getting bigger and then we'll start seeing flames and the last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us."

3 . Firefighters climbing hill

4 . SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED BY PREVIOUS SHOT++

"We expect the temperatures to go up and we expect the humidity to decrease substantially and that should dry out some of our vegetation fuel beds so I expect to see a little bit of increase in activity today."

5. Various of fire trucks, firefighters

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

++SOUNDBITE COVERED BY PREVIOUS SHOT++

"If we have another good day, I expect to see some (containment) numbers increase and I definitely expect to see some numbers increase if we're able to hold those containment lines with the winds that we're expecting today."

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

AP TELEVISION

Clearlake, California – August 5, 2015

1. Various of fire trucks, smoldering trees, burnt earth

2. Various of fire trucks, staging area

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

"We expect the temperatures to go up and we expect the humidity to decrease substantially and that should dry out some of our vegetation fuel beds so I expect to see a little bit of increase in activity today."

4. Various of burned area, smoldering trees

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

"If we have another good day, I expect to see some (containment) numbers increase and I definitely expect to see some numbers increase if we're able to hold those containment lines with the winds that we're expecting today."

6. Various of fire trucks, firefighters hiking up steep hillside to work on containment line.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

"A lot of fire deep seeded that's just smoldering on the ground so what happens during the day, especially when the winds come up is those fires will start getting bigger and then we'll start seeing flames and the last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us."

8. Fire truck

Layna Rivas returned to her home on Thursday to find nothing but smoldering rubble after a massive Northern California wildfire burned across her property, killing her chickens and snatching her dream of creating an artists' community in the mountains.

Thousands of people have been driven from their homes by the blaze that has chewed through more than 100 square miles (259 square kilometres) of dry brush and trees.

The flames destroyed some properties and left others untouched near Clearlake Oaks, California, about 100 miles (161 kilometres) north of San Francisco.

Forty-three homes have been burned to the ground with 13,000 people ordered or warned to evacuate.

"It's hard to know what's the sign or what sign to look for, what's it all mean?" Rivas wondered as she picked through the rubble of her home that she was turning into a retreat for artists and musicians.

Firefighters had the blaze at least 40 percent contained by late Thursday.

It is the largest of 23 fires statewide and takes up nearly a third of the 10,000 firefighters dispatched in drought-stricken California.

Clearlake Oaks, California � 6 August 2015

1. Layna Rivas walks on her property where she lived and had been creating an artists' community in the mountains, pointing out where a music studio once stood with a piano, hoisting piano from ashes

2. Burned rubble of studio building

3. Rivas walks up metal stairs

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Layna Rivas, lost home to wildfire:

"There was a music studio, made out of straw bales, and the inside was all plaster finished and it even had gold lining in it. A beautiful baby grand (piano) sat right in the middle overlooking this valley and it was beautiful."

5. Various of burned structures, Rivas and friend picking through rubble

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Layna Rivas, lost home to wildfire:

"It's hard to know what's the sign or what sign to look for, what's it all mean? It rages one side and rages here and takes away your home and not another home and it's hard, it's hard to decipher all that but just going to have to keep going with the grace of God."

7. Rivas digging through rubble

8. Various of burned truck on property

9. Rivas walking on her property, pointing out where her kitchen had been (UPSOUND: "This was my kitchen � ")

10. Various of rubble that was her kitchen

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Layna Rivas, lost home to wildfire:

"Keep on keepin' on, and to all those other families out there, my heart goes out to you, as well. We feel you. We are all in this together."

12. Rivas and friend walking on rubble of home