Northern California fires: Staggering photos show scope of wildfires' devastation

Some of the largest fires are the LNU Lightning Complex, CZU Lightning Complex and the SCU Complex.

Alix Martichoux Image
ByAlix Martichoux KGO logo
Monday, August 31, 2020
Scenes from Bay Area August 2020 fires
Scenes from Bay Area August 2020 firesSee scenes from the LNU Lightning Complex Fire and other fires burning in the Bay Area this month.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A weekend of lightning storms sparked hundreds of wildfires in California. Since then, the fires have left a path of devastation in their wake.

BAY AREA FIRE UPDATES: Latest on evacuation orders, road closures here

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Following the LNU Lightning Complex fires, a sign reading "Vaca Strong" adorns a charred hillside in Vacaville, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020.
AP Photo/Noah Berger

Photos taken over the past several days show a stunning view of the challenge firefighters are facing - and what residents are fleeing.

Lake Berryessa, a popular summer recreation spot in Napa County, looks transformed into a fiery hellscape by the Hennessey Fire. Down south in the Santa Cruz mountains, the damage is already visible in small communities like Bonny Doon, where some homes and tractors are completely burned out.

Another terrifying moment caught on camera: when the LNU Lightning Complex flames jumped I-80 near Fairfield, shutting the interstate down and forcing evacuations in Solano County.

Click or swipe through the gallery at the top of this story to see some of the most staggering photos of the Northern California wildfires and the damage they've left behind.

VIDEO: Video shows terrifying escape through flames of LNU Lightning Complex fires

As if the call to evacuate wasn't scary enough, the road out was harrowing. One evacuee in Winters, Calif. recorded this as he drove through the fire while evacuating.

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