The death toll is now five from a pair of the most destructive wildfires in recent years in California.

The two major blazes, which together have destroyed more than 800 homes, have been significantly diminished in cooler, wetter weather, and firefighters were working to extend fire lines before an expected hot weekend arrives.

Two more bodies were found in the burned ruins of homes, authorities said Thursday. They were presumed to be Bruce Beven Burns and former San Jose Mercury News police reporter Leonard Neft, though official identifications have yet to be made, the Lake County Sheriff's Department said.

Shirley Burns said her 65-year-old brother-in-law might have been sleeping in his trailer and didn't realize the fire was speeding toward him on Saturday.

"It came in very fast, it was a monster," she said from her home in Lodi.

On Sunday another woman, 72-year-old Barbara McWilliams, was found dead in the same area near Middletown about 100 miles north of San Francisco.

Two other bodies were found inside homes destroyed in a separate wildfire about 170 miles away in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Calaveras County coroner Kevin Raggio said.

One was identified as Mark McCloud, 65, who was found Tuesday in the Mountain Ranch area.

Raggio wouldn't release the name of the other victim because the family had not been notified.

Firefighters gained ground on the massive blazes after cooler weather and rain descended on the area.

(PHOTOS: Wildfires Rage in California )

Here's a brief update on each of the three major fires burning in northern California. You can find more information on each inferno in their own section below.

Valley Fire : 73,700 acres burned; 585 homes destroyed; 7,473 structures threatened; 45 percent contained; 3 killed

: 73,700 acres burned; 585 homes destroyed; 7,473 structures threatened; 45 percent contained; 3 killed Butte Fire : 70,760 acres burned; 503 homes destroyed; 6,400 structures threatened; 63 percent contained; 2 killed

: 70,760 acres burned; 503 homes destroyed; 6,400 structures threatened; 63 percent contained; 2 killed Rough Fire : 141,491 acres burned, 68-percent contained

Meanwhile, authorities have deemed it safe for some evacuated residents to return to their neighborhoods and survey damage from the trio of northern California wildfires, but what they've found has been nothing short of complete destruction.

Residents like Don and Martha Grimm, who returned to the site where their ranch once stood, found the scene almost too much to bear. The couple, both in their 70s, held hands and cried as they trudged through the ashes that were once their ranch. Surprisingly, they learned their chickens, horses and llamas survived the fire, but 10 of their sheep died inside a barn.

"We didn't have a chance to react. It was here and we got out with the clothes on our back. All of our memories, everything is gone," Martha Grimm told the Associated Press.

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The story was similar for many of the other 23,000 or so residents of several small towns that were given very little time to flee fast-moving wildfires that eventually claimed their homes. Teary-eyed residents searched far and wide for any possessions that weren't totally consumed by the fires, while others shared stories of survival as they escaped the flames.

Rancher Lisa Comstock and her three dogs survived the Valley Fire in Middletown by jumping into a water trough as the blaze closed in on her home. Unsure if she'd survive the ordeal, she continued to talk to her dogs and horses that had gathered nearby, trying to keep them calm.

"The flames were coming over that mountain and surrounding this place like there was no tomorrow," she told the AP. "I jumped in the water trough with all the dogs, and the horses came up around. Thank God they just stayed here.

"If this is how I go, I'm not leaving these animals. That's all I could think of."

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Lake and Napa counties due to the effects of the fire.

Valley Fire

The Valley Fire in Lake County, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, exploded to 50,000 acres in less than 24 hours over the weekend, according to CalFire .

"I'm in shock. I want to cry. I'm looking at my neighbors' places, and they're all gone, and I'm still here. We're just shaking our heads," homeowner Jim Maurer told the AP.

The blaze destroyed a historic 53-acre Cobb Mountain retreat Saturday. Hoberg’s Resort and Spa, founded in 1885, was decimated, according to a press release. “Our hearts go out to people who also suffered the incredible loss of their homes and businesses within our community,” the ownership and management lamented. “It is our goal to respect and stay true to the spirit of Hoberg’s."

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Four firefighters suffered second-degree burns during the initial attack on the Valley Fire. They were hospitalized in stable condition, The AP added.

"I'm looking in all directions, and all I see is fire ," Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman told The Press Democrat. "This is unreal. ... This thing just blew up on us."

The small Middletown community suffered extensive damage and at least one school - Middletown Christian School - has been claimed by the flames , KGO-TV reported.

"The sound of the fire was that of a jet plane in flight. You could see fire advancing. It was incredible. We weren't evacuating carefully and cautiously, we were fleeing ," Bob Rider, an evacuee, told KGO-TV. Rider, his wife, three young sons and dog escaped from their home in Hidden Valley Lake.

Cal Fire reported more than 5,000 homes were without power due to the blaze. A Facebook page has been launched to help pet owners reunite with their lost animals.

Butte Fire

The Butte fire has burned more than 70,000 acres to the southeast of Sacramento.

Authorities say the wildfire started on Wednesday and has destroyed 503 homes in California's Gold Country.

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Officials reported more progress in battling the fire, saying it was 63 percent contained Friday.

California's emergency chief claims that this summer's fires are the most volatile he has seen in 30 years of emergency response work, according to the Sacramento Bee.

"I lost my business — it's all burned up — my shop, my house, 28 years of living," said Joe Thomas, who lives near the community of Mountain Ranch. "I got to start all over. It's depressing."

Thomas, who runs a tractor dealership and repair business, said he and his wife grabbed papers, his work computer, photos and their four dogs. But they left a goat, five ducks, six rabbits and more than 30 chickens behind.

"I turned the pens open and turned them loose. I just couldn't gather them up," he said. "All we want to do is go home. It's miserable."

In addition to the 503 homes destroyed, a damage-assessment team found that the fire burned 330 outbuildings and was threatening another 6,400.

Rough Fire

The Rough Fire continued to expand in the foothills east of Fresno, but not as quickly as it moved over the weekend.

The fire, which was started by a lightning strike on July 31, had scorched more than 141,000 acres as of Friday night and was 68-percent contained.

(MORE: California's Wildfires, By the Numbers )

The Sacramento Bee reports that it is the largest active fire in the state and it has swept through areas containing several ancient sequoia trees, including the General Grant tree and the Boole Tree, which are the second and sixth largest in the world, respectively. Both are reported to be safe.

At its current size, the Rough Fire is the 16th-largest wildfire in state history , according to CalFire.

Some mandatory evacuations were lifted Wednesday morning in the Fresno area, according to InciWeb.

More than 3,700 firefighters are involved, one of which has been injured .

There are no reports of any homes destroyed in the Rough Fire.