California's governor declared a statewide emergency on Sunday as a huge blaze, fanned by strong winds, forced mass evacuations and power blackouts as it bore down on towns in the famed Sonoma wine region.
The so-called Kincade Fire, north of San Francisco, has spread to 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) and was only 10 percent contained by Sunday evening, state
fire authorities said.
The Kincade Fire -- the most devastating in
California this year -- ignited Wednesday and spread quickly thanks to powerful gusts of up to 90 miles (145 kilometers) per hour.