Tech: Photos show how wildfires are ravaging parts of California's wine country

Fires in Northern California's Napa, Sonoma, and three other counties have burned wine country.

Massive wildfires engulfed huge swaths of Northern California's wine country early Monday, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses and sending residents fleeing for their lives.

Thousands of people in Napa and Sonoma counties have evacuated the area, which is known for its vineyards and wineries. Three other counties were affected after a series of fires ignited on Sunday and multiplied as strong, dry winds spread the flames over fields and freeways.

By the time most Californians woke for work on Monday, a blaze called the Tubbs Fire had burned at least 20,000 acres in the city of Santa Rosa, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Nearby schools and hospitals have closed. Power outages are widespread.

The Atlas Fire in Napa devastated an additional 5,000 acres, according to the Chronicle.

We will continue to update this story throughout the day.

Napa and Sonoma counties are the top wine-making regions in America.

There is the city of Napa and the county of Napa, considered the holy grail of wine country. It's home to more than 400 wineries, with many packed side by side along State Route 29.

Sonoma County stretches across nine cities and three times the land area of Napa County.

California's lesser-known wine hotspot was named best small town to visit in America — take a look »

Videos and photos on social media showed fires burning out of control in Sonoma and Napa counties on Monday, moving through vegetation, buildings, roads, and mobile home parks.

Santa Rosa, the largest city in Sonoma County, was hit the hardest.

A Kmart store on Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa was engulfed in flames.

The Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel was among the scores of buildings destroyed.

Residents who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle described "fleeing for their lives in the middle of the night from the fire, in cars or on foot." The extent of the damage is unknown.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

There are at least five large brush fires burning in the region. The two largest fires are believed to have begun late Sunday night near Highway 128 in Napa County.

Source: LA Times

The cause is under investigation.

California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for Napa, Sonoma, and Yuba counties — a declaration that calls the California National Guard into action.

Source: ABC7 News

Mandatory evacuations are in place. No deaths were reported at time of writing.

Source: LA Times

People in San Francisco awoke to red, hazy skies and a thick stench of smoke on Monday.

It caused alarm for some residents, who suspected the flames reached much closer to San Francisco. Many took to social media, and others called emergency responders.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco Fire Department posted this from its official Twitter account.

Fires in Northern California's Napa, Sonoma, and three other counties have burned wine country. Read Full Story