Baylee Danz did not panic when she woke to the news of a wildfire nearby. Fires came with the territory in this place she had lived all her life, at the intersection between mountainous national forest and populated northern California towns. Until now, her family had been safe in Magalia, California, just north of Paradise.

Only a few hours later, she was fleeing from the deadliest blaze in state history with her mother, father and grandmother. Her neighbour’s house was already burning down. The Camp Fire was at their heels and Ms Danz said she sobbed from loss and regret. Not only was she about to lose her childhood home, she could not find her cats, Coco and Pebbles, before they had to leave.

"I didn't realise the seriousness of the situation until I saw the flames," she said, "and by then it was too late."

Nearly 10,000 homes around Paradise and Magalia have been destroyed since the Camp Fire ignited early 8 November. The fire spread so fast, people barely had time to save themselves, let alone their pets.

Over the past week, first responders have carried thousands of injured animals out of the ashes to emergency veterinary hospitals. Many of them were found sitting in the smouldering rubble of their former homes, burned and dazed.

At VCA Valley Oak Veterinary Centre in Chico, California, the staff cancelled regular appointments so doctors could focus on wildfire victims. Hundreds of pets, mostly cats, were dropped off over the course of five days.

"We've run out of space," said Daniel Gebhart, the co-medical director at Valley Oak. He had about 20 animals under his care on Wednesday.

Injuries include smoke inhalation, dehydration and severe burns, Mr Gebhart said. The animals in the worst condition, with third-degree burns all over their bodies, have had to be euthanised. Fortunately, the vast majority of the animals that have come through Valley Oak's door have been saved, Mr Gebhart said.

Veterinarians administer pain medication to the burn victims immediately. They are given fluids, antibiotics and oxygen depending on the nature of the wound.

"Once they're stable, we can debride and clean the wounds," Mr Gebhart said. "We've been so emotional the past five days. It's so sad to see; they're in such terrible pain."

Jason House attempts to put a respirator mask on his dog Rowland at an evacuee encampment in a Walmart parking lot in Chico, California on November 17, 2018 (AFP/Getty Images)

The Small Animal Clinic at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine took in 32 cats with burn-related injuries over a two-day period, according to the clinic's chief of emergency services, Steven Epstein.

"Most of the injuries are related to actual burns, mainly to their feet," Mr Epstein said. "A lot of foot pad injuries that take two to three weeks to heal."

Their ear tips and faces also have been singed or even burned down to the skin in many cases. There might be lower-airway disease if they were breathing toxic gases. Some come in with burns in their nasal cavities or their mouths if they were surrounded by fire, which has another effect, Mr Epstein says. "They need feeding tubes because they don't want to eat."

Emergency room doctors often say human burn victims are the most difficult to care for because of the agony the injuries cause for the patient. Mr Epstein said it is similar for veterinarians. And burns are "striking," he said, "since it's a very visual disease."

First-degree burns might only take a few days to heal, he said. More severe burns take weeks to months.

"My staff are very emotional right now," Mr Gebhart said. They are stressed and fatigued, but caring for the community's animals is "the most important thing we can do."

Of the nearly 2,000 animals the North Valley Animal Disaster Group have taken into its shelters, most have been cats. But there have been hundreds of dogs, rabbits and chickens, and dozens of larger animals such as horses, goats, sheep and cows.

Overwhelmed by animals, local veterinarians have been transferring the healthiest patients to the disaster group's shelters, which are set up at the Chico Municipal Airport and regional fairgrounds.

Then comes an equally difficult task: connecting injured pets with their owners.

Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Show all 32 1 /32 Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle a blaze at the Salvation Army Camp in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Flames from the Camp fire burn near a home atop a ridge near Big Bend AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Cathy Fallon (centre) who stayed behind to tend to her horses during the Camp Fire, embraces Shawna De Long (left) and April Smith who brought supplies for the horses Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A helicopter drops flame retardant on a wildfire in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures An air tanker drops water on the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures An abandoned car from fleeing residents of Paradise in the Pentz road area EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A firefighter tackles the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A Jack In The Box fast food restaurant burns as the Camp fire moves through Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers label a body bag AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters hose down trees on Bell Canyon Road, near Malibu AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A fire burns at the Salvation Army Camp Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A firefighting DC-10 makes a fire retardant drop over a wildfire in the mountains near Malibu Canyon Road AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Bins have melted and ballooned in the heat in Magalia, Butte County EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Satellite image taken on 8 November shows plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire stretching across portions of Northern California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle the Woolsey Fire Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Deputy Coroner Justin Sponhaltz, of the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, recovers human remains found at a home destroyed by the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Buildings burn in Paradise, California EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Local residents bring their horses to Zuma Beach and away from the Woolsey Fire in Malibu Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A used car dealership burns in Paradise, California Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers inspect a burned vehicle after discovering remains nearby in Concow AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle the flames in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Search and rescue teams work to evacuate patients from the burning Feather River Hospital in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Embers blow in the wind in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures In Butte County, the sky is filled with the smoke of the Camp Fire EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters at work in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures The burned remains of a house and car are left after the Camp Fire in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A shop burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty

Lucky animals have microchips, tiny implants that, when scanned, display their owners' contact information. Without microchips or tags, the identification process can be difficult because of the nature of the injuries. Whiskers are singed off. Ears are painfully burned at the edges. What fur is left is shaved to facilitate treatment. Some could be unrecognisable.

Vets, rescue groups and volunteers are using social media to reunite pets with their humans. Multiple Facebook groups have launched since the wildfire started with the sole purpose of reconnecting Camp Fire survivors with their cats and dogs.

Ms Danz shared photos of Coco and Pebbles on her personal Facebook page. "If anyone sees them, please contact me," she wrote.

Soon she had a small army of strangers and friends searching for her cats in photos tagged "found" – dozens of pets with bandaged paws, cone collars, whiskers burned down to nubs. The photos tagged "reunited" were rare flashes of hope.

"One thing I've noticed in this tragedy is the kindness of others, even strangers," Ms Danz said. "People I didn't even know would comment on my posts. I had this whole invisible team looking for my cats."

A good Samaritan found Coco on the UC-Davis Facebook page. Her paws were burned in the fire and three were still wrapped when Ms Danz saw her on Thursday. An animal-control rescue team found Coco three streets away from her former home.

"She is in good condition, though," Ms Danz said. "She's eating and loves to be petted."

Pebbles is still missing, but she is alive. Someone found her stalking around the rubble of Ms Danz's former home in Magalia. "She was always a bit of a wild one," Ms Danz said, "and definitely a survivor."

Her childhood home is a heap of ash and blackened rubble now, but at least she has Coco, her childhood cat.

"We do want to stay in the area," Ms Danz said. "We want to try and rebuild."