13 killed, 1,500 properties destroyed in California wildfires

SANTA ROSA, California: An onslaught of wildfires across a wide swath of Northern California broke out almost simultaneously then grew exponentially, swallowing up properties from wineries to trailer parks and tearing through both tiny rural towns and urban subdivisions.
Authorities said that at least 13 people are dead, with 100 injured, and as many as 1,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed. All three figures were expected to surge in the coming days as more information is reported.
A new blaze is threatening homes near the Oakmont area of Santa Rosa, a city already battling unforgiving wildfires. Taken as a group, the fires are already among the deadliest in California history.
Residents who gathered at emergency shelters and grocery stores said they were shocked by the speed and ferocity of the flames. They recalled all the possessions they had left behind and were lost.
Some of the largest of the 14 blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties. They sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) away.
Sonoma County said it has received more than 100 missing-person reports as family and friends scramble to locate loved ones. The reports have come via calls to a hotline the county set up for the missing, according to Scott Alonso, communications director for Sonoma County.
It is possible that many or most of the missing are safe but simply cannot be reached because of the widespread loss of cell service and other communications.
Much of the damage was in Santa Rosa, a far larger and more developed city than usually finds itself at the mercy of a wildfire. The city is home to 175,000 residents.
A 90-mile stretch of the highway is framed by the flames and a major concern overnight, said Brad Alexander, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services.
The ferocity of the flames forced authorities to focus primarily on getting people out safely, even if it meant abandoning structures to the fire.
October has generally been the most destructive time of year for California wildfires. What was unusual Sunday, however, was to have so many fires take off at the same time.
Other than the windy conditions that helped drive them all, there was no known connection between the fires, and no cause has been released for any of them.
But the conditions late Monday and early Tuesday were calmer than they were 24 hours earlier, bringing hopes of progress against the flames.