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California wildfires in pictures

Multiple wildfires across a large swath of northern California have killed more than 40 people and devastated homes. The rising death toll makes it the deadliest wildfire in California's history.

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Fire retardant

Air crews are dropping fire retardant to stop the spread of the wildfires that have killed dozens in California. The fires were fanned by high temperatures, dryness and gusting winds.
Hazardous air quality

An aerial view shows wildfires spewing smoke northeast of Napa in California's wine district. Air quality in the Napa area is "very unhealthy" or "hazardous," according to US government agencies. Many of the reported injuries have been from smoke inhalation.
Homes destroyed

Thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed, including this neighborhood in Santa Rosa. The city of 175,000 people was one of the hardest hit.
Wind driven fires

A helicopter drops fire retardant to prevent the spread of wind driven fires. Wild gusts that fueled the fires were up to 50 mph (80 kmh). Thousands of firefighters are battling around 20 rapidly spreading fires.
Wineries burnt to the ground

Napa and Sonoma counties north of San Francisco are at the heart of California's famous wine industry. The bucolic scenery of forested hills and beautiful vineyards were turned into a black scarred landscape. Several wineries were burnt to the ground.
Hot spots

One of thousands of firefighters deployed to the region puts out a hot spot as a fire rages in the background. In addition to putting out fires and stop them from spreading, emergency services are focused on evacuating people from the path of deadly destruction. At least 25,000 people have been evacuated.
Intense heat

The intense heat of the wildfires has melted window frames and car tire rims, leaving many vehicles resting on their axles. Even the glass backboard of a basketball hoop melted due to the heat — dripping from the post and hardening like an icicle.
Neighborhoods in ash

Two women sift through the remnants of a home in Napa after a wildfire roared through the neighborhood, killing an elderly couple. Officials say the death toll will likely continue to rise.
The long road to recovery

The morning sun rises on a home in Orange, California after wildfires burned all but the chimneys. US President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in California while the House of Representatives approved a $36.5 billion disaster aid package that will help fire-ravaged California as well as hurricane-hit Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas.