Watch CBS News
Once considered an natural oddity, columns of towering flames known as a 'firenado' packing 100 mph-plus winds have become an increasingly common threat over the last four years as the wildfires that have ripped through Northern California have gained in intensity.
The Lava Fire burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest jumped a highway and is now threatening the community of Lake Shastina, according to fire officials.
It's been ten months since the CZU Lightning Complex Fire ravaged parts of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, but some people who lost their homes in that fire are still looking for a permanent place to live.
Fire crews increased containment overnight on the Willow Fire burning in the Los Padres National Forest, officials said Monday.
When the Willow Fire erupted in the coastal wilderness near Big Sur, the Little Tujunga Hot Shots were among the crews who responded to help battle the blaze.
The fire along the Port Chicago Highway, near Main Street in the unincorporated community of Bay Point, was 100% contained at 40 acres, Cal Fire reported Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters in Lake County made quick work of a vegetation fire in the community of Kelseyville Saturday afternoon that initially began as a structure fire, according to fire officials.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office lifted evacuation warnings and modified some orders Thursday for the week-old Willow Fire.
California regulators ordered new guidelines this week for wildfire-triggered power shutoffs that compels Pacific Gas and Electric and other investor-owned utilities to improve their systems for notifying communities of such outages and alleviate their impact.
With California looking to mitigate wildfire risk across the state, it's considering a new set of minimum safety standards for roadways in high risk areas, including the Santa Cruz Mountains area.
A brush fire burning near downtown Sonoma early Wednesday evening forced some limited evacuations, but authorities say forward spread has been stopped.
Fire crews are at the scene of a 50-acre vegetation fire burning near the Shasta County town of Happy Valley Wednesday afternoon that initiated some evacuation orders, authorities said.
An influx of moist and cool ocean air was helping Wednesday as more than 500 firefighters worked to suppress a forest fire burning in California coastal mountains near a remote Buddhist monastery south of Big Sur.
Fire authorities in Contra Costa County on Wednesday showed off some of the thousands of dollars worth of illegal fireworks confiscated during East Bay undercover operations in the past month.
A group of firefighting monks was ready to defend a Buddhist monastery being threatened Tuesday by the so-called burning in the rugged central coast mountains south of Big Sur.
As the summer approaches and vegetation dries out, wildfires are beginning to break out across the country, including California. Now federal wildfire officials say fire activity will continue to increase, creating a demand for more firefighters and equipment.
Wildfires continued to burn up areas of dry vegetation Tuesday in rugged central coast mountains and near an Eastern Sierra trailhead where hikers begin treks to the summit of Mount Whitney.
A wind-whipped 4-alarm brush fire roared down a Vallejo neighborhood hillside late Monday night, damaging at least 10 homes before firefighters were able to halt its advance.
Evacuations were underway in Clearlake after a car fire sparked a three-acre blaze.
A wildfire that started in Willow Thursday continues to advance in the steep, mountainous terrain near Big Sur, prompting local authorities to order evacuations.
The Willow Fire, first reported on June 17, was 2,088 acres as of Sunday afternoon -- up slightly from 2,066 acres on Saturday night. The fire remains zero percent contained.
Firefighters have stopped forward progress on a large grass fire that broke out near Interstate 680 south of Cordelia on Friday evening.
Cal Fire's Santa Clara Unit will likely head into this fire season with something its never had before: dedicated hand crews.
Marin County has gone all-in when it comes to wildfire prevention, kicking off a county-wide home inspection program designed to protect communities against disaster.
A heat wave this week in parts of the state is being monitored daily by the Cal Independent System Operator. If a Flex Alert is called, Californians will be asked to conserve energy.
