Thousands in northern California fled for their lives as brutal wildfires gobbled up their homes by the hundreds. "We just came on down. I mean, we couldn’t stay there, that’s for sure," Cobb resident Joyce Reim told CNN affiliate KGO. "We were stuck in the middle of the fire for a while and couldn’t go either way." In addition to Cobb, authorities ordered mandatory evacuations for the communities of Middletown, Harbin Hot Springs and Big Canyon Road. More than 5,000 are without power, according to Cal Fire.The Valley Fire roared to life over the weekend, about 115 miles west of Sacramento.