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Photos: Simultaneous wildfires rip through California’s north and south

California firefighters aided by subsiding winds took the offensive on Friday against two major wildfires at opposite ends of the state, one displacing 50,000 suburban Los Angeles residents and another roaring through Sonoma County's famed wine country. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared an emergency for both blazes, which erupted hours apart amid fierce winds this week that put emergency managers on high alert and prompted utilities to impose wide-scale power outages to curtail wildfire risks.

Updated on: Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM IST

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A photographer takes photos amidst a shower of embers as wind and flames rip through the area during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. Wildfires continued to rage across California on Friday, destroying homes and forcing evacuations, as over 1,000 firefighters tackled flames in the southern part of the state alone. (Josh Edelson / AFP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

A photographer takes photos amidst a shower of embers as wind and flames rip through the area during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. Wildfires continued to rage across California on Friday, destroying homes and forcing evacuations, as over 1,000 firefighters tackled flames in the southern part of the state alone. (Josh Edelson / AFP)

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Thick black smoke fills the sky as firefighters battle a wind driven wildfire in the hills of Canyon Country north of Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of residents near Santa Clarita, north of LA, fled their homes as the so-called Tick Fire scorched over 4,000 acres and was only 10% contained by Friday evening. The blaze forced the shutdown of all schools in the area as well as a major freeway, creating a traffic nightmare. (Gene Blevins / REUTERS)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

Thick black smoke fills the sky as firefighters battle a wind driven wildfire in the hills of Canyon Country north of Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of residents near Santa Clarita, north of LA, fled their homes as the so-called Tick Fire scorched over 4,000 acres and was only 10% contained by Friday evening. The blaze forced the shutdown of all schools in the area as well as a major freeway, creating a traffic nightmare. (Gene Blevins / REUTERS)

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A firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant Phos-Chek in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. New evacuations were ordered early Friday as the fire continued to spread, driven by so-called Santa Ana winds gusting up to 105 kilometers per hour. Some 1,325 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters were battling the flames that raced toward densely packed communities and threatened 10,000 structures. (Mario Tama / Getty Images / AFP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

A firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant Phos-Chek in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. New evacuations were ordered early Friday as the fire continued to spread, driven by so-called Santa Ana winds gusting up to 105 kilometers per hour. Some 1,325 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters were battling the flames that raced toward densely packed communities and threatened 10,000 structures. (Mario Tama / Getty Images / AFP)

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A firefighter sprays water on a burning home as the Kincade Fire burns through the Jimtown community in the Sonoma wine region. At least four other fires have erupted in southern California this week, fuelled by high temperatures above 30 Celsius and bone dry conditions. A red flag warning indicating ripe conditions for wildfire was in effect for more than 18 million people in the southern part of the state until Friday evening. (Noah Berger / AP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

A firefighter sprays water on a burning home as the Kincade Fire burns through the Jimtown community in the Sonoma wine region. At least four other fires have erupted in southern California this week, fuelled by high temperatures above 30 Celsius and bone dry conditions. A red flag warning indicating ripe conditions for wildfire was in effect for more than 18 million people in the southern part of the state until Friday evening. (Noah Berger / AP)

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Vines surround a burning building as the Kincade Fire burns. A number of wildfires have been raging in the northern part of the state. The most serious -- the Kincade Fire -- broke out late Wednesday, also prompting evacuations. The blaze, which is burning in remote steep terrain, has destroyed nearly 50 structures and forced the evacuation of the entire community of Geyserville and nearby vineyards. (Noah Berger / AP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

Vines surround a burning building as the Kincade Fire burns. A number of wildfires have been raging in the northern part of the state. The most serious -- the Kincade Fire -- broke out late Wednesday, also prompting evacuations. The blaze, which is burning in remote steep terrain, has destroyed nearly 50 structures and forced the evacuation of the entire community of Geyserville and nearby vineyards. (Noah Berger / AP)

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Elijah Carter 11 (L), and Robert Haralson, 12, help shop for their parents in a darkened Olivers Supermarket in the Rincon Valley community. The high risk of fires has led to pre-emptive power cuts to thousands of customers. The state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., warned that millions of people in northern and central parts of the state could have their power cut off during the weekend. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat via AP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

Elijah Carter 11 (L), and Robert Haralson, 12, help shop for their parents in a darkened Olivers Supermarket in the Rincon Valley community. The high risk of fires has led to pre-emptive power cuts to thousands of customers. The state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., warned that millions of people in northern and central parts of the state could have their power cut off during the weekend. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat via AP)

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California Governor Gavin Newsom (in white) has had to declare a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles counties. Newsom travelled to Sonoma on Friday to survey areas impacted by the Kincade Fire which has grown to around 23,700 acres and was only 5% contained as of Friday evening. Newsom told reporters the area looked like a “war zone.” (Karl Mondon / San Jose Mercury News via AP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

California Governor Gavin Newsom (in white) has had to declare a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles counties. Newsom travelled to Sonoma on Friday to survey areas impacted by the Kincade Fire which has grown to around 23,700 acres and was only 5% contained as of Friday evening. Newsom told reporters the area looked like a “war zone.” (Karl Mondon / San Jose Mercury News via AP)

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A resident evacuates with his dogs as a wildfire approaches. Residents said they barely had time to gather their belongings as the ferocious fire approached their homes. “We looked up the hill and couldn’t believe what we saw,” ranch owner Dwight Monson, 68, told the Los Angeles Times, saying the fire moved 14 miles in five hours before destroying four homes and a barn on his property. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

A resident evacuates with his dogs as a wildfire approaches. Residents said they barely had time to gather their belongings as the ferocious fire approached their homes. “We looked up the hill and couldn’t believe what we saw,” ranch owner Dwight Monson, 68, told the Los Angeles Times, saying the fire moved 14 miles in five hours before destroying four homes and a barn on his property. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP)

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Firefighters hose down a burning house during the Tick Fire in Agua Dulce near Santa Clarita. No injuries have been reported from either the Kincade fire, or the Tick fire. The dry, hot desert winds gave way to light breezes on Thursday night, slowing the fires’ advance and presenting crews with a chance to make significant headway against the flames. (Mark Ralston / AFP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

Firefighters hose down a burning house during the Tick Fire in Agua Dulce near Santa Clarita. No injuries have been reported from either the Kincade fire, or the Tick fire. The dry, hot desert winds gave way to light breezes on Thursday night, slowing the fires’ advance and presenting crews with a chance to make significant headway against the flames. (Mark Ralston / AFP)

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The lull is expected to be short-lived. Forecasts called for heavy winds to return late on Saturday and persist through the weekend, leaving fire crews a narrow window to tamp down the blazes. Adding to PG&E’s difficulties, the utility acknowledged on Thursday that the Kincade fire began near the base of a damaged high-voltage transmission tower the utility owns. (Mario Tama / Getty Images / AFP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

The lull is expected to be short-lived. Forecasts called for heavy winds to return late on Saturday and persist through the weekend, leaving fire crews a narrow window to tamp down the blazes. Adding to PG&E’s difficulties, the utility acknowledged on Thursday that the Kincade fire began near the base of a damaged high-voltage transmission tower the utility owns. (Mario Tama / Getty Images / AFP)

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This year’s fire season in California has so far been mild, with fewer deaths and fewer acres burned following two years of deadly conflagrations. Losing power doesn’t put a huge burden on firefighters, but they need to know outages are coming so they can install generators where needed, such as pumps for retardant, said Thom Porter, chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Gene Blevins / REUTERS)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

This year’s fire season in California has so far been mild, with fewer deaths and fewer acres burned following two years of deadly conflagrations. Losing power doesn’t put a huge burden on firefighters, but they need to know outages are coming so they can install generators where needed, such as pumps for retardant, said Thom Porter, chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Gene Blevins / REUTERS)

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A building is engulfed in flames at a vineyard during the Kincade fire near Geyserville. Forecasters are predicting the strongest winds in years throughout Northern California Saturday night and Sunday. California Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghillarducci is warning Californians to be prepared with supplies and to be ready to flee their homes if they are ordered to evacuate because of wildfires. (Josh Edelson / AFP)

Updated on Oct 26, 2019 4:01 PM

A building is engulfed in flames at a vineyard during the Kincade fire near Geyserville. Forecasters are predicting the strongest winds in years throughout Northern California Saturday night and Sunday. California Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghillarducci is warning Californians to be prepared with supplies and to be ready to flee their homes if they are ordered to evacuate because of wildfires. (Josh Edelson / AFP)

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