California Wildfires Claim 17 Lives, Thousands Of Structures

The 17 wildfires that have burned more than 115,000 acres in California since Sunday have now been blamed for 17 deaths. The fast-moving blazes have destroyed at least 2,000 buildings, many of them in the wine country region of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties. At least two of the fires have burned more than 25,000 acres, propelled by strong winds Sunday night. Conditions eased somewhat on Tuesday — but the National Weather Service says high winds could return to the area beginning late Wednesday night, with gusts over 50 mph. The intense fires are being described as unlike anything fire officials recall seeing in the area.