Parts of California’s wine region are being ravaged by fast-spreading fires that have killed at least 10 people.
Mass evacuations have taken place and at least 1,500 properties have been destroyed. Seven people were killed in Sonoma county, authorities said.
About 20,000 people fled from Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties after some of the state’s worst-ever wildfires broke out.
The governor of California has declared an emergency.”These fires have destroyed structures and continue to threaten thousands of homes, necessitating the evacuation of thousands of residents,” the declaration said.
Along with the deaths in Sonoma county, two people were killed in Napa county and one in Mendocino county when thousands of acres burned in one valley.
Further injuries have been reported and some people are said to be missing.
The head of California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Kim Pimlott, said that about 1,500 buildings had already been destroyed.
The fires are particularly fast-spreading because of the combination of high winds, low humidity and hot, dry weather.
The National Weather Service has issued a warning for the San Francisco area that “any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly”.
