California fire officials say wildfires around the state have forced roughly 50,000 people from their homes.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff said Sunday that 12,000 firefighters were battling 17 significant fires in California.
She said the state has experienced considerably more fire activity so far this year than it did over the same period of time last year, and the worst part of the fire season was still to come.
A fire in the Redding area about 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of San Francisco has claimed five lives and destroyed more than 500 buildings while charring 139 square miles (360 square kilometers).
