California was hit by a big fire, 10 people were killed

Illustration of forest fires (ABC)

Napa - More than a dozen rapidly spreading fire points have struck the state of California, USA, leaving 10 people dead and hundreds of homes ablaze.

The California Authority on Monday reported a wind-blown 80km-per-hour drive, causing more than 20,000 people to evacuate.

The California Fire Service said about 30,000 hectares of land were burned, the AFP news agency reported on Tuesday.

According to the Sonoma County Police Department, California, there are seven recent deaths from fires in the region. Overall there are 10 people killed because previously had three people killed.

At least 1,500 buildings were destroyed by the fire. State authorities have declared emergency fire disasters, especially in three regions of wine producers.

There are 14 large-scale fires that hit Napa, Sonoma and Yuba regions, California Governor Jerry Brown reported. The three areas are north of San Francisco Bay.

According to an AFP correspondent, there were a number of explosions of gas pipes and gas tanks in the Santa Rosa area triggered by a blaze.

About 410 firefighters are working to tame the Mendocino fire, a local police spokesman told CBS television.