The Sonoma County town of Santa Rosa, the largest city in the wine country region, was decimated by one of the fiercest blazes, the so-called Tubbs fire, one of more than 20 fires wreaking havoc in California on Wednesday (October 20). Aerial footage shows block after block of some neighborhoods obliterated with nothing left but charred debris, broken walls, chimneys and the steel frames of burned-out cars. Firefighters, facing resurgent winds and dry conditions, battled to halt the advance of wildfires that have killed at least 21 people, destroyed 3,500 homes and businesses and blanketed Northern California. A rash of 22 blazes spanning nine counties have scorched nearly 170,000 acres (68,797 hectares) since the first flames erupted on Sunday night in what state fire officials say is one of the deadliest wildfire outbreaks in California history.
