A boiling river of WINE flows through devastated California wine country as residents return to apocalyptic scenes after wildfires kill 40- while 5,000 flee another inferno in the home of Disneyland
- Fires across California have killed 21 people in the north and forced 20,000 people to evacuate their homes
- Nearly 150 people are still unaccounted for and some 2,000 buildings have been destroyed by the blazes
- A series of fires that flared up north of San Francisco on Sunday are among the deadliest in the state's history
- In Southern California, most evacuation orders were lifted after a fire destroyed 14 buildings, mostly homes
- A monster Canyon 2 blaze cast an orange glow over the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim late Tuesday night
Wineries across California's Napa Valley are among the thousands of properties that have been destroyed by fierce wildfires ravaging the state this week.
Paradise Ridge Winery, situated on a hill overlooking Santa Rosa, is one of the many hit by fires that broke out Sunday, with its barrels charred and its wine flowing like a river under smoldered debris.
Fires across California have killed 21 people so far in the north and forced 20,000 people across the state to evacuate their homes.
Nearly 150 people are unaccounted for and some 2,000 buildings have been devoured by the flames.
A boiling river of wine flows underneath smoldering debris at the Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, California on Tuesday
Burned wine barrels are seen at a destroyed Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday. Firefighters battled wildfires in California's wine region on Tuesday as the death toll rose to 21 and thousands were left homeless in neighborhoods reduced to ashes
Damaged wine making vats and tanks due to a wildfire stand in ashes and debris at the production house of Paradise Ridge Winery on Tuesday in Santa Rosa, California
Some of the largest of more than a dozen blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. Pictured above, wine making vats at Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa
A rack of burned bottles of wine are seen at the Signorello Estate winery in Napa, California, after wildfires hit the region this week
Worried California vintners surveyed the damage to their vineyards and wineries Tuesday after wildfires swept through several counties whose famous names have become synonymous with fine food and drink. Pictured above, the remains of a burned bottle of wine are seen at the Signorello Estate winery
The main building at Paras Vinyards burns in the Mount Veeder area of Napa in California on Tuesday as firefighters fight blazes across the country
A pile of furniture burns during the Nuns Fire in Kenwood, California, in Sanoma County, on Tuesday as ravaged the region
Fires continue to burn in and around Napa, California, and smoke from the blazes can be seen as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles away
Among the dead are a married couple, aged 100 and 99, who were unable to evacuate in time. A deaf-blind woman is also believed to be among the dead.
Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Napa, Sonoma, Yuba, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Orange counties and requested a presidential major disaster declaration to help battle at least 18 blazes burning throughout the state.
A series of fires that flared up north of San Francisco on Sunday night are among the deadliest in the state's history.
In Southern California, most evacuation orders have been lifted as firefighters successfully battle a wildfire that destroyed 14 buildings, most of them homes.
Thousands of people in Tustin, Orange and Anaheim were allowed to begin returning home Tuesday evening, a day after the blaze erupted in northern Orange County.
Some of the largest of more than a dozen blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. They sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles away.
This aerial image shows a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday. Newly homeless residents of California wine country took stock of their shattered lives Tuesday, a day after deadly wildfires destroyed homes and businesses
A destroyed Journeys End Mobile Home Park is seen in Santa Rosa, California. Firefighters encouraged by weakening winds were battling
April Lee views a burned home in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday after firefighters battled huge blazes in the state's wine region
Gina Baier looks for family heirloom china that may have survived in the remains of her home in the Coffey Park area of Santa Rosa, California
Residents embrace after viewing their destroyed home in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday after wildfires destroyed properties in the region
A neighborhood is destroyed by fire in the area of Foxtail Court in Santa Rosa, California. More than a dozen wildfires continue to spread in eight Northern California counties
Firefighters gather for meeting in the Fountain Grove area after a wildfire in Sonoma County on Tuesday as blazes hit Santa Rosa, California
Meanwhile in southern California, a monster Canyon 2 blaze cast an orange glow over the Disneyland theme park late last night, although Police and Fire Department spokesman Sgt Daron Wyatt was keen to reassure tourists that they are in no danger and that the resort is safe.
Photos, obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, taken in Anaheim - a city of 350,000 people south of Los Angeles, show destroyed homes, cars caved in and children's toys reduced to melted blobs of plastic.
Approximately 7,500 acres have been consumed by the conflagration since early Monday morning, forcing the evacuation of 5,000 homes and putting another 35,000 at risk.
Sgt Wyatt, 50, told DailyMail.com that the fire has destroyed 14 homes so far and damaged another 22 – among them six properties on Canyon Heights Drive where these photos were taken.
Meanwhile in southern California, a monster Canyon 2 blaze cast an orange glow over the Disneyland theme park late last night
Police and Fire Department spokesman Sgt Daron Wyatt was keen to reassure tourists that they are in no danger and that the resort is safe
The Williamson family surveys damage to their home after it was destroyed by the Canyon Fire 2 in Anaheim Hills, California
Jordan Williamson (right) and his sons survey damage to their home after it was destroyed by the Canyon Fire 2 in Anaheim Hills
Sructures were destroyed and 7,500 acres burned in a fire that is now 25 percent contained. In northern California, at least 15 people have died and over 75,000 acres have been scored by more than a dozen fires and California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in several northern California counties
Most of the fire damage is located in the Anaheim Hills, close to the Limestone Canyon Regional Park, where residents said their homes were engulfed within an hour of the first police warning at approximately 10am on Monday.
'About 10am in the morning, I came outside and smelled it and saw the smoke and the flames were coming straight this way at us,' said Cory Murdock, 45, a financial planner who lives with his wife Alison, 40, and their five-year-old twins William and Madison.
'We knew it was coming straight towards us. We tried to warn some of the neighbors and grabbed our stuff pretty quick because we knew what was coming.
'Around five to 10 minutes later, the police came round, telling everybody – you do need to go now. We were just helping everybody, trying to grab as much stuff as we could and got out of here.'
Others told of their terror as they battled to escape through clouds of choking black smoke and showers of burning ash particles.
Aimee Piazza, 44, a mother-of-two, was at home when the blaze began and said the 40 minutes it took her to escape were some of the most frightening of her life.
She told DailyMail.com: 'It really was sheer terror. I've been up here through fires before, I've lived up here all my life, and I've never been through such fires before.
A 7,500-acre wind-driven brush fire that has destroyed several homes and structures continues to burn through several Orange County cities, south of Los Angeles
Cory Murdock (left), 45, a financial planner who lives with his wife Alison, 40, said he saw smoke coming toward him before his family evacuated. Rachel Suon (right), 22, fled with her mother and her dogs Winnie (right) and Rocky early yesterday morning
Aimee Piazza (left, with her daughter Kristen), 44, a mother-of-two, was at home when the blaze began and said the 40 minutes it took her to escape were some of the most frightening of her life.
Medic Marie Pham (left), 40, said she had left her ID and credit cards at her home in one of the evacuation zones and is currently unable to work because of their loss. Police and Fire Department spokesman Sgt Daron Wyatt (right) said the blaze had damaged 14 homes thus far
Kumari Bharil, 53, who allowed DailyMail.com to accompany her as she returned to her property. The house, which sits on a quiet street overlooking a charred stretch of hillside, stank of smoke but Bharil said she was pleased by the lack of damagePiazza's own home.
Others to lose their residences included parents-of-three Janet and Kevin Shaevitz, 42 and 53 respectively, and Sylvester McBride, 54, and his wife Ann, 51.
Neighbors described Homen as 'devastated', adding: 'She's totally devastated but she says she's going to rebuild.
'They're just looking for a place to stay right now.'
Police and the American Red Cross have set up evacuation centers across Anaheim, including downtown and at a police substation in the eastern part of the city.
Police and the American Red Cross have set up evacuation centers across Anaheim, including downtown and at a police substation in the eastern part of the city. Pictured above, firefighters in Anaheim Hills
Most of the fire damage is located in the Anaheim Hills, close to the Limestone Canyon Regional Park, where residents said their homes were engulfed within an hour of the first police warning at approximately 10am on Monday
Some evacuated early, while others told of their terror as they battled to escape through clouds of choking black smoke and showers of burning ash particles
Residents living in the evacuation zones have been told not to return to their homes until Wednesday afternoon at the earliest, although some have been allowed to collect essential medication accompanied by a police escort
Many of those who have been evacuated by the fire are staying with relations or friends, while others have checked into local hotels
Residents living in the evacuation zones have been told not to return to their homes until Wednesday afternoon at the earliest, although some have been allowed to collect essential medication accompanied by a police escort.
One who did was Kumari Bharil, 53, who allowed DailyMail.com to accompany her as she returned to her property.
The house, which sits on a quiet street overlooking a charred stretch of hillside, stank of smoke but Bharil said she was pleased by the lack of damage, telling DailyMail.com: 'I'm happy with this but I'm hoping to come back home soon.'
She added: 'They said I could in here and get my medication. This is such a beautiful area and I really like it.
'I am so amazed at the firefighters and the job they do – I am so grateful for that. I really appreciate everything everybody is doing to protect the property and everything like that.'
The mother-of-two, who is staying with her parents nearby, said of the evacuation: 'It happened yesterday morning around 10.30.
'I was at the gym and I couldn't get back into the house. I didn't have anything because I just had my gym clothes and my purse. It was scary, it was very scary. All that smoke and fire.'
Like Bharil, many of those evacuated are staying with relations or friends, while others have checked into local hotels.
The Anaheim Police Department has now lifted some of the evacuation orders in place, although much of the eastern part of the city remains shut down
According to Sgt. Wyatt, resources are currently being focused on the eastern side of the fire with helicopters dropping water and planes pouring retardant in a bid to contain the blaze
Thousands of people in Tustin, Orange and Anaheim were allowed to begin returning home Tuesday evening, a day after the blaze erupted in northern Orange County
Joshua Williamson walks in front of his home destroyed by the Canyon Fire 2 in Anaheim Hills, California, on Tuesday, after a blaze hit the area
Among them is Rachel Suon, 22, who fled with her mother and her dogs Winnie and Rocky early yesterday morning.
'My dad booked us a hotel in Anaheim close to Disneyland – we stayed there last night,' she told DailyMail.com.
'We left a lot behind. I left some clothes, all the pictures we have, furniture – everything. The fire was very close.
'I actually live on East Manor Ridge Drive and the fire was right down the street on the cul-de-sac area. It was very scary.'
Medic Marie Pham, 40, said she had left her ID and credit cards at her home in one of the evacuation zones and is currently unable to work because of their loss.
She also told DailyMail.com that she was terrified that her home, which she shares with husband Hien and their children Katelyn, nine, and Christopher, seven, will burn down.
Pham said: 'I grabbed everything I could but I'd come from the gym, so I left my ID [at home] and my credit cards in the house.
The remains of the Signorello Estate winery continue to smolder Tuesday in Napa, California, following massive wildfires in the region
This aerial image taken on Tuesday shows a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire in Santa Rosa, California, earlier this week
Homes were burned completely to the ground in Santa Rosa, California, which was hit by deadly wildfires over the past week
Multiple wildfires are scattered throughout Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, leaving at least 17 people dead and destroying homes and businesses in their path
religious statue is seen among fire damaged buildings at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday
'I didn't grab my husband's meds, so now he's trying to go back there to get them. It was very frightening because it got very close.
'The next two blocks up, the houses burned down, their cars melted. We were really close by the same spot.
She added: 'I'm kind of nervous – I hope it stops before it gets to our house.'
The Anaheim Police Department has now lifted some of the evacuation orders in place, although much of the eastern part of the city remains shut down.
According to Sgt. Wyatt, resources are currently being focused on the eastern side of the fire with helicopters dropping water and planes pouring retardant in a bid to contain the blaze.
He added: 'Several thousand residents have been displaced and we understand their frustration and we want to get them back into their homes as soon as possible.
'But our focus is the preservation of life and making sure it's safe to do so. Until then, our advice is always that we've made an evacuation order for a reason. Our advice is always to leave.'
Shocking aerial images capture the devastation wrought by California wildfires
with nearly 300 MISSING and 20,000 forced to flee their homes
- Fires across California have killed 40 people in the north and forced 20,000 people to evacuate their homes
- New photos show the apocalyptic destruction in the area, where ash snows down on devastated communities
- Around 285 people are still unaccounted for and some 3,500 buildings have been destroyed by the blazes
- A series of fires that flared up north of San Francisco on Sunday are among the deadliest in the state's history
- In Southern California, most evacuation orders were lifted after a fire destroyed 14 buildings, mostly homes
Ash that resembles snow covers streets and houses in Northern California in overhead images that make clear the devastating destruction caused by wildfires that have been ripping through the area since Sunday night- burning through more than 170,000 acres of land.
Photos taken on Wednesday show the huge plumes of smoke rising from communities ravaged by the fires across California, which have killed 23 people so far in the north and left nearly 300 unaccounted for - as an additional 20,000 across the state have been told to evacuate their homes.
Three days after the fires began firefighters were still unable to gain control of the blazes which have left behind apocalyptic scenes: entire neighborhoods reduced to ash, 3,500 homes and businesses completely destroyed, and some of the worst air pollution the area has ever seen.
Firefighters started to contain the blazes earlier in the week - before gusts of 20 to 40mph winds and extremely dry conditions joined forces on Wednesday, threatening to spread the flames even further.
Among the tens of thousands of properties that have been damaged are Napa's wineries, causing wine to flow life a river under smoldered debris after escaping charred barrels.
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Ash that resembles snow covers streets and houses in Northern California in overhead images that make clear the devastation caused by wildfires that have been ripping through the area since Sunday night- burning through more than 170,000 acres of land
Photos taken on Wednesday show the huge plumes of smoke rising from communities ravaged by the fires across California, which have killed 23 people so far in the north and nearly 150 are unaccounted for, and forced 20,000 across the state to evacuate their homes
Pictured is one of the communities that was destroyed in the fires, which started on Sunday and have yet to be fully contained
Satellite images using a Very Near Infrared show the damage form the wildfire - with healthy vegetation appearing red and the burn scar dark brown
Satellite imaging shows the huge devastation caused by the wildfires in northern California. This infrared imaging shows damage in brown, and healthy devastation in red
On Wednesday Cars of evacuees raced away from the flames while countless emergency vehicles raced toward them, sirens blaring. Pictured is an inmate crew headed to clear brush on Wednesday
More than 3,500 homes and businesses were ruined in the fires. A car destroyed by the Tubbs Fire sits on the street on Wednesday as people are just now being allowed back into the area
Three days after the fires began, firefighters were still unable to gain control of the blazes that had turned entire Northern California neighborhoods to ash and destroyed at least 3,500 homes and businesses and polluted air quality in the region
President Trump has yet to say anything about the matter.
In Sonoma County, which has been one hit the hardest, Sheriff Rob Giordano said they have gotten 600 reports of missing people. They were able to locate 315 of those individuals, and believe many of the 285 unaccounted for will be located once telecommunications are fixed.
However - he also worries how many more bodies he will finds in the days to come.
The series of fires are among the deadliest in the state's history - and caused ash to snow over the Sonoma Valley, covering windshields, as winds begin picking up toward the potentially disastrous forecast speed of 30 mph.
On Wednesday Cars of evacuees raced away from the flames while countless emergency vehicles raced toward them, sirens blaring. Residents manhandled canvas bags into cars jammed with possessions or filled their gas tanks to escape the fires - not knowing when they will be able to return to their homes.
Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Napa, Sonoma, Yuba, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Orange counties and requested a presidential major disaster declaration to help battle at least 18 blazes burning throughout the state. Pictured are burned homes in the Coffey Park area on Wednesday night
'We're seeing the worst air quality ever recorded in many parts of the Bay Area,' Tom Flannigan, PIO for the Bay Area Quality Management District told SFGate . 'The entire Bay Area population is likely being affected by the smoke.' Pictured residents wear face masks and wait for police to escort them in and out of their homes so they can attempt to salvage ruined belongings
Governor Jerry Brown said at a news conference on Wednesday that the entire state is in for a long recovery period
Whole neighborhoods were leveled, with only brick chimneys and charred appliances to mark sites that were once family homes. Pictured are burnt homes in Santa Rosa California
Flames have raced across the wine-growing region and the scenic coastal area of Mendocino farther north, leaving little more than smoldering ashes and eye-stinging smoke in their wake
Homes have been completely destroyed in the flames engulfing Northern California this week. Governor Jerry Brown asked for a presidential major disaster declaration to help battle at least 18 blazes burning throughout the state. President Trump has yet to say anything about the matter
Governor Jerry Brown said at a news conference on Wednesday that the entire state is in for a long recovery period.
'We've had big fired in the past,' he explained. 'This is one of the biggest, most serious. It's not over.'
They said 8,000 firefighters and other personnel were battling the blazes and more resources were pouring in from Oregon, Nevada, Washington and Arizona.
Flames have raced across the wine-growing region and the scenic coastal area of Mendocino farther north, leaving little more than smoldering ashes and eye-stinging smoke in their wake.
Whole neighborhoods were leveled, with only brick chimneys and charred appliances to mark sites that were once family homes.
'We're seeing the worst air quality ever recorded in many parts of the Bay Area,' Tom Flannigan, PIO for the Bay Area Quality Management District told SFGate.
'The entire Bay Area population is likely being affected by the smoke.'
Fire consumes two cars but spares a home on Keiser Road southwest of Kenwood, California on Tuesday
A raging wildfire can be seen over the crest of a hill on Tuesday night. Firefighters in California say they have battled over a dozen blazed burning in the region but that they aren't slowing down
Ben Pederson sorts through the ashes to find a school yearbook in the remains of his bedroom after his family's home was destroyed in the Northern California wildfires
Some of the largest of more than a dozen blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. They sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles away. Pictured is smoke rising netweem from one of the wildfires still burning Wednesday
A row of chimneys stand in a wildfire-damaged neighborhood. Governor Jerry Brown said at a news conference on Wednesday that the entire state is in for a long recovery period
Prisoners from the McCain inmate crew from San Diego, clear brush from a road on Wednesday in Calistoga, California. Crews from the south were brought up north due to the inadequate man-power to put out the fires and clear up the region
The main building at Paras Vinyards burns in the Mount Veeder area of Napa in California on Tuesday as firefighters fight blazes across the country
A boiling river of wine flows underneath smoldering debris at the Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, California on Tuesday
Burned wine barrels are seen at a destroyed Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday. Firefighters battled wildfires in California's wine region on Tuesday as the death toll rose to 23 and thousands were left homeless in neighborhoods reduced to ashes
In Southern California, most evacuation orders have been lifted as firefighters successfully battle a wildfire that destroyed 14 buildings, most of them homes.
Thousands of people in Tustin, Orange and Anaheim were allowed to begin returning home Tuesday evening, a day after the blaze erupted in northern Orange County.
Some of the largest of more than a dozen blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. They sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles away.
'It looks like a bombing run here,' said winemaker Joe Nielsen of Santa Rosa's Donelan Family Wines, speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle. 'Just chimneys and burnt-out cars and cooked trees.'
'We are literally looking at explosive vegetation,' said Ken Pimlott, chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
'It is very dynamic. These fires are changing by the minute in many areas. Make no mistake, this is a serious, critical, catastrophic event.'
The fires have burned through a staggering 265 square miles (686 square kilometers) of urban and rural areas. High winds and low humidity made conditions ideal for fire on the start virtually anywhere on ground that was parched from years of drought.
Wiped off the map: Shocking aerial photos show neighborhoods razed to the ground and houses reduced to ashes by California wildfires that destroyed 3,000 homes in Santa Rosa and caused $1billion in damage
- Photos show entire neighborhoods gone and the sides of hills bare, burned and blackened by the wildfire
- Locals say they plan to rebuild, but it will take until early 2018 for all of the rubble and ruins to be cleared away
- Around 100,000 people were evacuated and 42 killed by the fire; the dead were remembered on Saturday
- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attended the memorial service after touring the burned-out streets
New aerial photos show just how badly California was hit by its worst-ever wildfires this month, as those on the ground face up to the possibility that their homes may never be rebuilt.
The inferno, which began on October 8, saw 100,000 people evacuating, 42 dead, and 8,900 structures damaged or destroyed - with the city of Santa Rosa losing five percent of its housing.
'We don't control these things, and it makes you realize how small you are in the world when something like this happens,' Sheriff Rob Giordano said at a memorial service on Saturday.
'I don't think we understand the level at which it is going to impact lives, and the community will be different.'
These shocking images show the devastation wrought on California after this month's wildfires, which are the worst the state has ever seen. The city of Santa Rosa (pictured) was particularly hard-hit, losing five percent of its housing
The fire - named the Tubbs Fire because it started on Tubbs Lane in Santa Rosa (pictured: several of the city's roads) - began on October 8 and went on to kill 42 people and destroy more than 8,900 buildings.
In total, around 100,000 people were evacuated to avoid the blaze, but the damage will likely take years to recover from. Santa Rosa already struggled with a lack of housing before the fires
The cleanup of debris alone in Santa Rosa is expected to run into early 2018, and the losses are estimated to be as high as $1 billion. FEMA has given out $6 million worth of rental and other assistance to displaced Californians
For Santa Rosa, it's made an existing problem - a lack of housing - even worse. But many residents are vowing to rebuild their homes and city.
'There is a sense of community we are all going to rebuild,' Dee Dee Bridges, 70, who lost her 3,300-square-foot home, told the LA Times. 'We aren't going anywhere… I want to rebuild fast. I haven't got time to wait.'
Others are concerned about whether everyone will be able to go the distance.
'The first reaction of anyone in a situation like this is, "I am going to stay... and stand my ground,"' Mayor Chris Coursey said. 'As that gets harder for some people, I hope that they will still show that resolve. It's hard - I still have a house - for me to tell people what to do. But I really want people to stay in this community.'
Residents must worry not just about rebuilding their own homes, but also finding somewhere to live while that happens.
There are also concerns that the Army corps of engineers may remove workable foundations when clearing up the remains of streets and neighborhoods, unnecessarily adding to the cost of rebuilding.
The EPA has assessed 740 properties so far, while FEMA has given out $6 million worth of rental and other assistance to displaced Californians, officials said.
Officials estimate the cleanup of debris and other hazardous materials will last into early 2018. The losses are estimated to be at more than $1 billion.
Many Santa Rosa residents are now looking to rebuild their homes and communities, although some are worried that the army engineers sent in to clear up debris will tear up workable foundations, increasing rebuilding costs
While the resolve to reclaim their lives is strong among many Santa Rosa residents, the struggle to find places to live is a major problem, as is affording the cost of rebuilding a home
The scale of the fire can be seen in this photograph, with swathes of buildings and fields blackened and burned. The Tubbs fire burned at least 36,807 acres of land
The contrast between the area affected by the fire (left) and the area spared from its destruction (right) is marked. The Tubbs Fire followed a similar route to the 1964 Hanley Fire
Santa Rosa resident Debbie Wolfe carries a few surviving items from the remains of her home in Santa Rosa on October 17. Nancy Pelosi and five other members of Congress toured the area on Saturday
On Saturday a memorial was held at a college in Santa Rosa to honor the lives lost in the fires, with a bell ringing 42 times to commemorate the dead.
Sheriff Rob Giordano and other officials praised the ordinary and extraordinary acts of heroism by first responders and community members as the firefight raged on for more than a week.
Some firefighters worked days on the front line, refusing to take breaks, while sheriff's dispatchers continued taking calls even as the fire came close to taking out their building.
US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and five members of Congress spent Saturday attending the memorial, touring the fire ravaged areas and gathering advice from federal, state and local officials on what Congress can do to aid the recovery efforts.
In a briefing in Santa Rosa, officials asked them to ease red tape that will make it easier to erect temporary housing and to ensure the Environmental Protection Agency has the resources it needs to clean up any hazardous material before it infiltrates the water supply.
'It was just unfathomable the amount of destruction that we saw,' Pelosi said. 'My colleagues will have to understand this is different from anything else, many times over.'
But Pelosi said Northern California's response to the fires can serve as a national model for disaster response if done right.
She urged her colleagues in Congress to think beyond the incremental rebuilding needs and help the region better prepare for and mitigate damage from future disasters.
'What would we like to see the result be? Let's engineer it back from there,' she said of the rebuilding efforts.
Thompson and other members of Congress, meanwhile, were asked to look at ensuring immigrants living in the country illegally are not at risk if they contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
They were also asked to look into improving the system for alerting people of pending disasters, a more difficult task now that more homes rely on cellphones instead of landlines.
Also on Saturday, Pelosi and the other members of Congress attended this memorial ceremony for those killed in the raging fires. Pictured is a color guard of Santa Rosa firefighters at the event
A Santa Rosa fireman (left) rang a bell 42 times to symbolize the lives lost to the blaze. Many there, such as the choir singer seen right, were visibly moved by the event
Pelosi (D-Calif) is seen here second-left with Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif, third from left), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif, right) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif, third from right), presenting a flag to fire chief Tony Gossner
Biggest wildfire in Los Angeles history forces 700 to evacuate as 5,000 acres are consumed in blaze and fire department warns it could get even larger
- Largest wildfire in Los Angeles history swallows up 5,000 acres since Friday
- The blaze has forced 700 homes to be evacuated as the fire continues to rage
- A mere 10 per cent of the fire has been listed as under control as heat and winds provide difficult obstacles for firefighters to control the massive blaze
- La Tuna Fire named after the canyon it began shut portions of the 210 Freeway
The largest fire in Los Angeles history is engulfing thousands of acres of land and is forcing residents to evacuate homes throughout the county.
The fire, dubbed the La Tuna Fire after the canyon where it erupted, has already burned through 5,000 acres of land, and the heatwave in the area along with erratic winds are proving major obstacles for firefighters trying control the blaze.
The fire broke out Friday and has already forced the partial closure of the 210 Freeway, a major thoroughfare. The 210 is closed between the Glendale Freeway and Sunland Boulevard.
La Tuna Fire seen raging behind the Burbank Town Center Mall early morning Saturday
A crew with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection battles La Tuna on a hillside in Burbank
La Tuna Fire rages behind the Hollywood Hills on Friday, with the famed Hollywood sign in the front, right
The blaze comes dangerously close to this hillside property
The blaze raging along the hillside in Burbank
A helicopter fights the blaze from above in an effort to save people's homes
The massive blaze is fought from the air by helicopter trying to save property
It's unclear when the freeway will completely reopen according to the LA Times.
The blaze started with just one acre of brush on Friday.
The enormous blaze led authorities to evacuate more than 700 homes in a north Los Angeles neighborhood and in nearby Burbank and Glendale, officials said.
The wildfire on the northern edge of Los Angeles rapidly grew on Saturday into what the mayor called the largest blaze in the city's history.
'We can't recall anything larger,' Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas during a 10am news conference Saturday.
'Our priority is saving people and saving property,' Terrazas said, according to the LA Times.
The fire raged alongside the 210 Freeway in Sunland, California leading authorities to close portions of the busy thoroughfare
A resident stops along the 210 Freeway to check on his home in Sunland
People watch as flames from the La Tuna Fire blaze on a hill in the Shadow Hills neighborhood Saturday
A fire truck passes by burning brush along La Tuna Canyon Road, closed to traffic, in the Verdugo Mountains
A deer runs along the 210 Freeway, escaping the fire in Sunland
Residents on the 210 freeway try to see their house on the other side of thick smoke and flames near the community of Tujunga during the La Tuna Fire
People carry their belongings and dog to a car as they prepare to evacuate as the La Tuna Fire approaches in the Shadow Hills
People in Burbank watch the smoke and flames below
Units of the LAFD on scene responding to fire along La Tuna Canyon Road near Burbank
The La Tuna Canyon fire over Burbank
The La Tuna Fire rages in Burbank
The La Tuna Canyon fire over Burbank Saturday
The La Tuna Fire comes dangerously close to properties
'There is a lot of un-burned fuel in this area' he added, noting this is the first fire in the area in 33 years.
Fire in thick brush that has not burned in decades was slowly creeping down a rugged hillside on Saturday toward houses, with temperatures in the area approaching 100 degrees, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert.
Authorities warned of erratic winds that could force them to widen the evacuation zone, after the fire destroyed one house in Los Angeles on Saturday.'Our biggest concern is the wind and weather,' the chief said. 'The erratic weather is our number one challenge. If there's no wind, this is a relatively easy fire to put out. But when the wind changes, it changes our priorities because other properties become at risk.'
The fire could make air unhealthy to breathe in parts of Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city, and nearby suburbs, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said in an advisory.
The fire was only 10 percent contained Saturday with more than 500 firefighters battling it.
LAFD on scene responding to fire along La Tuna Canyon Road near Burbank
A helicopter drops water on the La Tuna Canyon fire at night in the hills above Burbank
Firefighting helicopter passes over the scorched hillside in Tujunga
LAFD on scene responding to fire along La Tuna Canyon Road near Burbank
A helicopter helps battle the blaze in Burbank
A plane assists battling the blaze over Burbank
The La Tuna Canyon fire burns in the hills above Burbank early Saturday
People watch as flames from the La Tuna Fire blaze on a hill in the Shadow Hills
Houses being evacuated during the La Tuna Canyon fire over Burbank
The La Tuna Canyon fire over Burbank
Units of the LAFD on scene responding to fire along La Tuna Canyon Road near Burbank
Sunland resident Willow Bosco uses a firehose to soak the foliage around the McGroarty Arts Center in Tujunga
Flames from the La Tuna Fire blaze on a hill in the Shadow Hills on Saturday
As firefighting helicopters douse the smoldering hillside, Tujunga resident Benjamin Grupp uses a firehose to soak the foliage around the McGroarty Arts Center in Tujunga
More than 400 miles to the north, the so-called Ponderosa Fire has burned 3,880 acres, or about 1,570 hectares, and destroyed 30 homes in Butte County since it broke out on Tuesday. It prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders earlier this week to residents of some 500 homes.
The blaze was 45 percent contained.
California Governor Jerry Brown issued an emergency declaration on Friday to free up additional resources to battle the Ponderosa blaze.
Wildfires in the U.S. West have burned more than 7.1 million acres since the beginning of the year, about 50 percent more than during the same time period in 2016, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
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