US

California Neighborhoods Are Literally Blowing Away After Fires Turned Them To Ash

No featured image available

Northern California has been engulfed in flames for days from at least a dozen fires whipped into uncontrollable infernos by hurricane force wind gusts.

Seventeen people have died thus far, and more then 180 are missing. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency and released federal aid for the area Tuesday. At least 20,000 people are under a mandatory evacuation order and thousands of homes and businesses have been burned to the ground, CNN reports.

“This has been one of the deadliest weeks for fires that we’ve experienced in recent time,” Cal Fire assistant deputy director Daniel Berlant said, according to the Washington Post.

This round of wildfires has torched more than 190 square miles. Victims have started returning to their houses and neighborhoods to find, at best, empty husks of cars and houses. Many places ravaged by fire have been completely turned to ash.

Dramatic footage shows a @sonomasheriff deputy driving through an advancing wildfire in Northern California https://t.co/vAqE0hVFCQ pic.twitter.com/t6dSvFialN

— CNN (@CNN) October 11, 2017

Northern California inferno is breathtaking in photos. This one is from the San Jose Mercury News. pic.twitter.com/C5XZKDtd51

— Mark Grossi (@markgrossi) October 11, 2017

Couple returns to home in ruins after neighborhood is wiped out by California wildfire. "It's just unimaginable." https://t.co/j4kWHaJTY3 pic.twitter.com/ELIUDnkHoZ

— ABC News (@ABC) October 11, 2017

California wildfires:

– 20,000 people evacuated
– 35,000 without power
– 2,000 homes and businesses destroyedhttps://t.co/MMD0AILRhr pic.twitter.com/q22xnfIkXE

— CNN (@CNN) October 11, 2017

This aerial video shows wildfires raging in California’s wine country https://t.co/tBhjuUISxa pic.twitter.com/n0gNDaEXLL

— CNN International (@cnni) October 11, 2017

Blazes are sweeping through one of California's most scenic and treasured destinations https://t.co/yB6DGFwRtK pic.twitter.com/yb0zB5kR1p

— Jaime Otero (@jaimeotero_) October 11, 2017

Firefighters are battling 22 wildfires in California that have burned nearly 170,000 acres. Latest on the fires: https://t.co/OtkdreDFEq pic.twitter.com/bWYpWilVsu

— CAL FIRE PIO (@CALFIRE_PIO) October 11, 2017

“These fires came down into neighborhoods before anyone knew there was a fire in many cases,” Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said. “This is just pure devastation and it’s going to take us a while to get out and comb through all of this.”

Follow Tim Pearce on Twitter