More than a dozen wildfires whipped by powerful winds have swept through California wine country, destroying at least 1,500 homes and businesses and sending about 20,000 people fleeing for safety.

A large earthquake rolled through California’s northern Bay Area yesterday, damaging some buildings, knocking out power to thousands and sending residents running out of their homes in the darkness.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 has been reported in northern California’s San Francisco Bay area, officials said.

San Francisco’s mayor is to seek counselling for alcohol addiction following the disclosure that he had an affair with the wife of a veteran aide.