Wildfire ravages Paradise, Calif.

A wildfire swept through a Northern California town Thursday, destroying several thousand buildings, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection official said. The 28-square-mile Camp Fire devastated the town of Paradise, forcing all 27,000 residents to evacuate. Butte County Cal Fire Chief Darren Read said at a news conference that at least two firefighters and multiple residents were injured. But with firefighters unable to control the flames after the first day, officials could not give an exact count of the wounded.

Southern California also faced wildfires this week, with reports early Friday of two large fires covering 23 square miles. KABC-TV in Los Angeles reported that 75,000 homes are under evacuation orders along the border of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The National Weather Service issued extreme fire danger warnings around the state. Acting Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Butte County, where Paradise is located, and asked for a federal emergency declaration.