California's Governor has declared a statewide emergency after strong winds whipped wildfires in the north and south of the state, forcing the evacuation of almost 200,000 people.
In Northern California's wine country outside San Francisco, the Kincade Fire has grown to about 27,000 hectares while in the South of the state the Tick Fire destroyed at least twenty-two homes and threatened 10,000 more.
RNZ's correspondent in San Francisco is Rachel Silverman.
