(CNN) Matthew Valdivia woke Thursday to the smell of smoke, and looked outside to see the glow of a wildfire in the hills near his home in San Bernardino .

After waking up his wife and children and some neighbors, the Valdivia family joined thousands of other Southern Californians who've had to flee fires. And like those other evacuees, the Valdivias hoped firefighters could save their house.

It burned to the ground before sunrise.

Matthew Valdivia stands in front of the burned wreckage of his house in San Bernardino.

Valdivia's home was one of at least six that the Hillside Fire, which started in the hills above San Bernardino after midnight, damaged or destroyed Thursday as winds pushed it down into the city, officials say.

It is one of at least 11 active wildfires burning in the state. Strong winds in Southern California threatened to stoke them further.

The Hillside Fire is far from over -- officials urge about 1,300 people in an evacuation zone in the north of the city to stay away. But the flames were out in Valdivia's neighborhood by late morning, and Valdivia returned to find only charred remains of the house where he'd lived a little more than a year.

A fire consumes a home Thursday in northern San Bernardino.

"It hurts, but this can get replaced," he said. "You can't replace a life. That was my priority -- just my kids, and making sure everybody was aware."

One thing he regrets not grabbing: a laptop with the only copies of some baby photographs of his kids.

"That's the only thing that hurts my feelings a lot -- pictures I didn't save," he said.

The fire was first reported just north of San Bernardino around 1:40 a.m. PT (4:40 a.m. ET) and swept into neighborhoods on the city's edge, consuming about 200 acres by mid-morning, officials said.

Authorities rushed to alert residents who'd been sleeping. No injuries have been reported.

The Hillside Fire burns early Thursday just behind a home in northern San Bernardino.

490 homes in San Bernardino evacuated

Firefighters worked Thursday to keep the fire from advancing.

"This fire moves so fast that it's imperative that people evacuate when we ask them to," San Bernardino County Fire Deputy Chief Kathleen Opliger said. "It's not a safe place to be."

Evacuations have been ordered for about 490 homes in northern San Bernardino, the county fire department said.

The fire was a few miles away from Cal State San Bernardino, which was closed Thursday because the regional utility intentionally cut power as a precaution, hoping to prevent fires in the red-flag conditions. The campus lost power at 3:20 a.m. Thursday.

Julien Cooper, 53, and his father were sleeping in Cooper's San Bernardino home when he heard his phone ringing. He woke up and smelled smoke.

"Ten seconds later, I hear the doorbell and I already know what it is since we had a fire a week ago," he told CNN. "It was the neighbor saying that there was a fire in the field."

Cooper grabbed his dad and his dog, crossed the street to help the neighbor's elderly mother evacuate and met up with a relative at a McDonald's. Minutes later he returned home and grabbed some valuables -- and his neighbor's home was on fire.

Cooper took video of the neighbor's house engulfed in flames. His nephew Henri Moser, who lives out of state, shared it on Twitter. Cooper said he heard firefighters say they'd try to save his house, which had barely survived a wildfire 39 years earlier

My poor grandpa and uncle. Unc just sent this video prior to their evac (this is their exact neighbor). Tons of smoke damage.. Heartbreaking to hear a live stream evac and then hear about them sitting in a parking lot at a grocery store, and it's cold too! WTH??? #HillsideFire pic.twitter.com/hHc0PI6gG6 — Vryimpatnt (@Henri__Moser) October 31, 2019

Just to the southeast, firefighters also were battling a blaze that erupted Thursday morning in Riverside County's Jurupa Valley , prompting evacuations. With county fire officials reporting three homes there destroyed, workers at a pet adoption center prepared evacuations as flames licked nearby brush, an employee told KTLA.

Fires in the Los Angeles area

Thursday's winds were of no help to Los Angeles-area firefighters, who battled several blazes.

The Getty Fire in Los Angeles, which began Monday, is threatening more than 7,000 homes, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Most evacuations have been lifted, and the blaze is 39% contained.

And about 40 miles northwest of the city, the Easy Fire broke out in Simi Valley Wednesday. Wind gusts of hurricane force -- at least 74 mph -- were reported at a weather station about seven miles north of Simi Valley.

The Easy Fire quickly consumed more than 1,600 acres in Ventura County and threatened 6,500 homes, officials said. The fire forced school closures and mandatory evacuations of about 30,000 people in Simi Valley, officials said. Three firefighters have been hurt.

Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters spray water on a backfire while battling the spread of the Maria Fire on Friday, November 1. It is just one of the numerous wildfires in California right now. Hide Caption 1 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighter works at containing the Maria Fire in the hills near Ventura, California, on November 1. Hide Caption 2 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters spray water onto a tree while fighting the Maria Fire in Ventura County, California, on November 1. Hide Caption 3 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A long-exposure photo shows the Maria Fire as it races across a hillside in Santa Paula, California, on November 1. Hide Caption 4 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters watch the progress of a backfire near Somis. Hide Caption 5 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California The remains of the Louis Robidoux Nature Center keep smoldering after the structure was destroyed by a wildfire in Riverside, California. Hide Caption 6 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighter sprays down the smoldering remains of a burning home in San Bernardino, California, on Thursday, October 31. It was affected by the Hillside Fire. Hide Caption 7 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Marco Alcaraz uses a garden hose to try to slow down the advance of the Easy Fire in Simi Valley. Hide Caption 8 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters work to prevent a blaze from spreading to other homes in San Bernardino. Hide Caption 9 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California An Air Force One from Ronald Reagan's presidency sits on display as the Easy Fire burns near Reagan's presidential library on October 30. Hide Caption 10 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters brace themselves for incoming fire retardant as they battle the Easy Fire in Simi Valley. Hide Caption 11 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Fabio Losurdo comforts his horse, Smarty, at a ranch in Simi Valley on October 30. Hide Caption 12 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Flames approach the backyards of mobile homes in Jurupa Valley, California, on October 30. Hide Caption 13 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Laura Horvitz, right, and Robyn Phipps help rescue goats from a ranch near the Reagan Presidential Library. Hide Caption 14 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Health care workers evacuate the Riverside Heights Healthcare Center on October 30. Hide Caption 15 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Inmate firefighters battle the Kincade Fire near Healdsburg, California, on Tuesday, October 29. Hide Caption 16 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A home between Healdsburg and Windsor is surrounded by charred ground on October 29. Hide Caption 17 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California From left, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tour a burned home in Brentwood, California, on October 29. Hide Caption 18 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters work near the Getty Center in Los Angeles on Monday, October 28. Hide Caption 19 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Thousands of Los Angeles residents were forced to evacuate their homes because of the Getty Fire. Hide Caption 20 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Los Angeles County firefighter Collin Bashara rests near his truck on October 28. Hide Caption 21 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Smoke from the Kincade Fire hangs over Healdsburg as farm animals graze in a pasture on October 28. Hide Caption 22 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A man walks past a burning home in Los Angeles on October 28. Hide Caption 23 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Fire crews walk along a blackened ridge as they battle the Getty Fire in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 24 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters battling the Kincade Fire spray water at a home in Windsor on Sunday, October 27. Hide Caption 25 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters burn fuel around a home in Windsor in an effort to save it from the Kincade Fire. Hide Caption 26 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Dr. Emily Putt, a veterinarian who helps rescue horses from fire zones, comforts a horse as the Kincade Fire burns in Healdsburg on October 27. Hide Caption 27 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighter passes a burning home as the Kincade Fire rages in Healdsburg on October 27. Hide Caption 28 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Vines smolder in a cloud of smoke in Healdsburg. Hide Caption 29 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Flames from the Kincade Fire consume a home in Healdsburg. Hide Caption 30 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A team of firefighters put out a smoldering vine in Healdsburg. Hide Caption 31 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California The Soda Rock Winery burns in the Kincade Fire. Hide Caption 32 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters from the Dry Creek Rancheria remove an American flag in Healdsburg. Hide Caption 33 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighter watches over a structure as the Kincade Fire threatens Chalk Hill Road in Healdsburg. Hide Caption 34 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighter sets a backfire along a hillside in Healdsburg on Saturday, October 26. Hide Caption 35 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A line of fire snakes along a hillside as firefighters light backfires to slow the spread of the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, California, on October 26. Hide Caption 36 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Sodhi Singh closes up his Chevron station shortly after losing power in Healdsburg on October 26. In an attempt to avoid any more catastrophic wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric began shutting down the power to about 940,000 customers, citing a historic wind event in northern and central parts of the state. Hide Caption 37 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A backfire set by firefighters burns along a hillside in Healdsburg. Hide Caption 38 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Sandy Beddow evacuates Healdsburg with her dog. Hide Caption 39 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters set a backfire along a hillside in Healdsburg. Hide Caption 40 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Firefighters hose down a burning house in Agua Dulce, California, on Friday, October 25. It was affected by the Tick Fire, which broke out near Santa Clarita. Hide Caption 41 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Orange County firefighters put out remaining hot spots from a brush fire in San Clemente, California, on October 25. Hide Caption 42 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighting aircraft intervenes over Sonoma County, California, where the Kincade Fire was burning on October 25. Hide Caption 43 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighter sprays water on a burning home in Sonoma County on Thursday, October 24. Hide Caption 44 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A Los Angeles County firefighter monitors the area as the Tick Fire burns near homes in Canyon Country on October 24. Hide Caption 45 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California The Kincade Fire burns in the Jimtown community of Sonoma County on October 24. Hide Caption 46 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A firefighter works the scene of a burned-out home in Santa Clarita on October 24. Hide Caption 47 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Brandon Mani covers his face from the smoke as he walks along Highway 14 in Santa Clarita. Hide Caption 48 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A helicopter passes a smoke plume on October 24. Hide Caption 49 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A structure continues to burn after the Kincade Fire moved through Geyserville on October 24. Hide Caption 50 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Geyserville, about 80 miles north of San Francisco, is among the communities under mandatory evacuation order. Hide Caption 51 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Two firefighters discuss a plan while battling the wildfire in Geyserville. Hide Caption 52 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California The sun rises above a smoke-filled valley in Geyserville on October 24. Hide Caption 53 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California A fire whirl whips across dry brush as the Kincade Fire spreads through Sonoma County on October 24. Hide Caption 54 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Trees burn as the fire engulfs a hillside in Geyserville. Hide Caption 55 of 56 Photos: Wildfires scorch California Embers fly across a roadway in Jimtown on October 24. Hide Caption 56 of 56

The state has secured grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fight several fires, including the Easy Fire and the blazes in San Bernadino and Riverside County, the governor's office said. The grants allow affected local and state and agencies to apply for a 75% reimbursement of eligible fire suppression costs.

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Power companies may be responsible for fires

The Simi Valley wildfire started near a Southern California Edison sub-transmission line, the power company said, adding that it has filed a report with the state Public Utilities Commission.

"SCE is conducting a review into the circumstances surrounding the fire, and will cooperate with all investigations into the origin and cause of the fire," the company said in a statement.

The company said Tuesday that its equipment likely also contributed to the Woolsey Fire last November. The fire became one of the most destructive in the state, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, killing three people and destroying more than 1,600 structures.

In Northern California, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) filed three reports with the California Public Utility Commission Wednesday indicating that its equipment may be involved in the start of three fires, according to officials.

Bill Johnson, CEO and President of PG&E Corp., told media the company has contacted the state about reports of videos possibly showing sparking powerlines at the Bethel Island and Oakley fires.

A third report was then filed linking its equipment to a fire in Milpitas, California.

"Troublemen observed wire down. They observed two houses, two cars, and a shed damaged by the fire. An on-site Milpitas Fire Department Investigator informed the troubleman that he was looking at the downed wire as a potential ignition source and collected a portion of the conductor into evidence," PG&E said in a statement to CNN.

PG&E has been under scrutiny in recent years for the role its equipment played in several devastating fires across the state, including last year's deadly Camp Fire , which killed 85 people. Over the last weeks, the utility has been enacting preventative shutoffs all over northern and central California.

Laura Horvitz, right, and Robyn Phipps help rescue goats from a ranch near the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

Mark Quinlan, the company's incident commander for the shutoffs, said Thursday evening power should be restored to every customer by the end of the day.

There are 156 confirmed instances of damage, such as broken poles or trees tangled in wires, Quinlan said, adding the number will rise as more reports are processed.

"These real hazards that we're finding could have been potential fire ignitions, and that's important to understand and really is the foundation of why we have a (power shutoff) program in the first place," Quinlan said.

California's biggest fire is far from contained

North of the San Francisco Bay, the week-old Kincade Fire -- the state's largest active wildfire -- has destroyed nearly 77,000 acres across Sonoma County and more than 260 structures, including more than 130 single-family homes, officials said.

It was about 60% contained as of Thursday.

The Kincade Fire started October 23, but the cause is still under investigation.

The good news: Forecasters say winds in Northern California will weaken through Thursday, and more residents can go home.