Californian Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state-wide emergency as wildfires, whipped up by fierce winds, continue to sweep through the area.
Some 180,000 people have been ordered to leave homes, with roads around Santa Rosa north of San Francisco packed with cars as people tried to flee.
Tens of thousands of homes are under threat from the wildfires.
The biggest blackouts in the state"s history have already left a million people without electricity.
Power companies are trying to stop damaged cables from triggering new fires.
Another million people have been told they could lose supplies.