Hundreds of
people are still missing in massive wildfires which have swept through
California killing at least 29 people and damaging thousands of homes,
businesses and
other buildings.
Ash that
resembles snow covers streets and houses in Northern California in overhead
images that make clear the devastating destruction caused by wildfires that
have been ripping through the area since Sunday night- burning through more
than 170,000 acres of land.
Photos taken
on Wednesday show the huge plumes of smoke rising from communities ravaged by
the fires across California, which have killed 23 people so far in the north
and left nearly 300 unaccounted for as an additional 20,000 across the state
have been told to evacuate their homes.
Three days
after the fires began firefighters were still unable to gain control of the
blazes which have left behind apocalyptic scenes, entire neighborhoods reduced
to ash, 3,500 homes and businesses completely destroyed, and some of the worst
air pollution the area has ever seen.
Firefighters
started to contain the blazes earlier in the week before gusts of 20 to 40mph
winds and extremely dry conditions joined forces on Wednesday, threatening to
spread the flames even further.
Among the
tens of thousands of properties that have been damaged are Napa's wineries,
causing wine to flow life a river under smoldered debris after escaping charred
barrels.
Officials
say that 22 fires spanning more than 300 square miles an area equivalent to the
size of New York City and still raging
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