California Fires Turn Deadly, Engulf 400 Homes

Authorities in northern California say fast-moving wildfires are responsible for the death of one person over the weekend.

The raging wildfires have destroyed 400 homes and around 1,000 other structures, sending hundreds of residents running for their lives.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection confirmed one fatality in the wildfire north of San Francisco that raced through dry brush and exploded in size within hours.

"Scariest thing I've ever been through - just 10 minutess to pack up and leave," survivor Kimberly Harper said.

"The smoke was rolling across the plains. It was flipping along, was literally rolling smoke like you see right here," evacuee Joyce Reem recalled.

Several hundred firefighters have been battling the flames. Four of them were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.

The fires are also creating a huge problem for ranchers who are losing millions of dollars worth of grazing land and cattle.

Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said this summer's fires are the most volatile he has seen in 30 years of emergency response work.

The main cause behind the fast-spreading fires is extremely dry conditions from the drought.

"The bushes, the trees have absolutely no moisture in them, and the humidities are so low that we are seeing these 'fire starts' just erupt into conflagrations," Ghilarducci said.