Residents flee homes as wildfires scorch Northern California

There were nearly 11,000 lightning strikes in 72 hours

Crews have worked in blistering heat to beat back wildfires that ignited across Northern California, sending thousands of people from their homes, halting traffic on major roads and killing a pilot on a firefighting mission.

Hundreds of fires were burning across California, including 23 major fires or groups of fires that governor Gavin Newsom blamed on “extraordinary weather” and “all of these lightning strikes”.