Yahoo News Shocking aerial images show thousands of homes burned to the ground by California wildfires
Rows of houses reduced to piles of white ash and entire communities decimated – these heartbreaking aerial images show the devastation of the California wildfires.
At least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed by the most destructive wildfires in California history which have also left 23 dead.
As California’s state fire chief warned ‘it’s going to get worse before it gets better’, shocking bird’s-eye photographs illustrate just how quickly the destruction has spread.
Areas destroyed include Calistoga, the historic resort town of wine tastings and hot springs where 5,300 people have been told to evacuate.
Elsewhere in Santa Rosa, devastated homeowners said the wildfires have hit the area ‘like an atom bomb’.
There are fears on Thursday, however, that the fires could cause fresh damage due to dry ‘diablo winds’ which may stoke the flames overnight.
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The 22 fires spanned more than 265 square miles (686 sq km) as they entered their fourth day, many of them completely out of control.
Modern, strategic attacks that have kept destruction and death tolls low in recent years just have not worked against their ferocity.
State fire chief Ken Pimlott explained on Wednesday: ‘We are literally looking at explosive vegetation.
‘Make no mistake, this is a serious, critical, catastrophic event.’
The community of Boyes Hot Springs in Sonoma County was also told to get out on Wednesday, and the streets were quickly lined with cars packed with people fleeing.
‘That’s very bad,’ resident Nick Hinman said when a deputy sheriff warned him that the driving winds could shift the wildfires toward the town where 11,000 people live. ‘It’ll go up like a candle.’
State fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said 22 wildfires were burning on Wednesday, up from 17 the day before.
As the fires grow, officials voiced concern that separate blazes would merge into even larger infernos.
Around 8,000 firefighters and other personnel have been battling the blazes and more resources are pouring in from Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Oregon.
Orange County fire officials said the blaze was 60% contained and full containment was expected by Sunday, although another round of gusty winds and low humidity levels could arrive late on Thursday.
