California fires

Eight missing as massive Dixie fire rages in northern California

Even as the calmer, less windy weather gave firefighters a break overnight with the Dixie fire, the third largest fire in California's history, the Pulmas County Sheriff's Office released the somber news.

"We have received reports of eight unaccounted for individuals," the sheriff's office said in a statement, asking for the public's help in finding them.

Five of the missing belong to the old mining town of Greenville where blazes leveled most of its downtown, about 250 kilometres north of Sacramento.

California fires: crews struggling to control major blazes

The three fatalities in the so-called Zogg Fire in Shasta County, about 322km north of San Francisco, were reported by the local sheriff.

All three were civilians, and their deaths brought to 29 the number of people killed since mid-August. This has been the worst year for wildfires in California's history in terms of acreage burned. Further south, the Glass Fire was raging in wine country, having already destroyed a highly rated restaurant and buildings at a winery whose architecture was inspired by a 13th century Tuscan castle.

Town of Paradise will need 'total rebuild'

Brock Long, administrator of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said the damage to Paradise was "one of the worst disasters" he had ever seen.

So far 48 people have been found dead in the Camp Fire that hit the town, but more than 100 more remain missing.

About 9,000 firefighters are currently battling wildfires across the state.

At a news briefing on Wednesday by officials, the director of California's fire service said "progress is being made" to contain the blazes.

Fears of further damage in California fire as winds strengthen

A lull on Saturday allowed some containment of the blazes, in the north and south of the state, before hot dry Santa Ana desert winds return.

A search for bodies continues in the devastated northern town of Paradise, where 23 people are known to have died.

Two more people were killed in the southern fire, near Malibu.

An estimated 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major blazes in the state.

So far this year an area larger than Belgium and Luxembourg has burned, well above the average.

Santa Barbara evacuated as Thomas flares up again

Meteorologists said fresh northerly winds were likely to drive the flames from the fire - named Thomas - towards the Pacific coast.

The blaze, the state's third largest on record, has now burnt almost 1,000 sq km (405 sq miles) since 4 December.

Two people are reported to have died as a result of the fire.

Fire apparatus engineer Cory Iverson was killed tackling the blaze last week, along with a woman, Virginia Rae Pesola, who was in a car crash as she evacuated.

California fires: Thirteen dead in wine country

A state of emergency was declared in northern areas after mass evacuations, with 2,000 structures destroyed.

About 20,000 people fled from Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties in response to some the state's worst-ever wildfires.

Such fires are more common in southern California but a combination of dry weather and strong winds has fuelled the destruction in the north.

Cal Fire officials said on Tuesday morning that 17 wildfires in nine counties have burned more than 115,000 acres in just the past 12 hours.