Deadly wildfires continue to rage in California

WILDFIRES have raced toward wineries and the historic town of Sonoma in northern California, chasing hundreds more people from their homes and threatening to roll back firefighters’ modest gains against fires that stretched across a 100-mile swath of the US state.

Propelled by stiff winds, the fires damaged or destroyed several buildings in the middle of the night before crews halted their advance at the edge of Sonoma, where firefighters spent days digging firebreaks to keep flames from reaching the city’s historic central plaza.

John Saguto said he awoke several hours before dawn at his home east Sonoma to see flames “lapping up” 300-500 yards away. He and his neighbours evacuated as firetrucks raced up and down the streets and hot embers flew over their heads.

The fire made “a strong run” into Sonoma and damaged or destroyed additional buildings before firefighters stopped it, said Dave Teter, deputy director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Several homes and other structures near a vineyard east of downtown were in smouldering ruins.

Nearly a week after the blazes began, the fires have left 40 people dead and destroyed at least 5,700 homes and businesses, making them the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history. Some 300 people remain unaccounted for, though officials think they will locate most of those people alive.

Most of the deceased are believed to have died late on October 8 or early October 9, when the fires took people by surprise in the dead of night. Most were elderly, though they ranged in age from 14 to 100.

No causes have been determined for the fires, though power lines downed by winds are a possibility.

Although some evacuees were returning home in Mendocino County, latest estimates are that about 100,000 people remained under evacuation orders as the fires burned for a sixth day.