More Coverage: Read our examination of the factors that made the fires so destructive and our analysis, which found that at least 1,800 buildings were destroyed in Santa Rosa.

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Fires destroyed an area of the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa, Calif. Before: Google Earth; After: California Highway Patrol, via Reuters

Hundreds of firefighters have been trying to contain blazes across Northern California’s wine country since Sunday night in what officials said was one of the most destructive fire emergencies in the state’s history.

Calistoga CALIFORNIA Evacuation areas as of Thursday afternoon St. Helena Santa Rosa Extent of fires, as of Thursday Napa Sonoma Petaluma Pacific Ocean Novato San Pablo Bay Area of detail Oakland CALIFORNIA San Francisco 25 MILES Calistoga CALIFORNIA Evacuation areas as of Thursday afternoon St. Helena Santa Rosa Extent of fires, as of Thursday Napa Sonoma Petaluma Pacific Ocean Novato San Pablo Bay Area of detail Oakland 25 MILES CALIFORNIA San Francisco Calistoga CALIFORNIA Evacuation areas as of Thursday afternoon St. Helena Santa Rosa Napa Sonoma Petaluma Pacific Ocean Extent of fires, as of Thursday Novato San Pablo Bay Area of detail CALIFORNIA Oakland 25 MILES San Francisco Calistoga Evacuation areas as of Thursday afternoon St. Helena Santa Rosa Napa Sonoma Petaluma Extent of fires, as of Thursday CALIFORNIA Novato San Pablo Bay Area of detail Pacific Ocean Oakland San Francisco 25 MILES Sources: NASA MODIS, Santa Rosa Fire Department

In Santa Rosa, the largest city in Sonoma County, hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed. In the Coffey Park neighborhood, bare trees dotted the landscape where dozens of homes had been reduced to ash and rubble. Multiple evacuation orders were issued in the city after fires first broke out on Sunday.

Destruction in Coffey Park. Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Smoke and fire engulfed both sides of Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa. Fires also raged further east through the heart of Sonoma and Napa wine country, damaging thousands of buildings and establishments, including multiple vineyards, wineries and at least one dairy.

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Smoke rising behind homes in Santa Rosa. Before: Google Earth; After: California Highway Patrol, via Reuters

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A pool in front of the fire-ravaged Signorello Estate winery in Napa, Calif. Before: James Gateley; After: Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

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The remains of the fire-damaged Signorello Estate winery. Before: James Gateley; After: Jim Wilson/The New York Times

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Damaged buildings at Stornetta Dairy in Sonoma, Calif. Before: Google Street View; After: Stephen Lam/Reuters

The fires, which began Sunday night, appeared to catch residents off guard, with some fleeing on foot.

Counties with declared states of emergency Fires on Monday Santa Rosa San Francisco CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Counties with declared states of emergency Fires on Monday Santa Rosa San Francisco CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Sources: NASA MODIS, Office of the Governor

About 140,000 acres had burned by Wednesday afternoon, destroying thousands of structures and forcing the evacuation of more than 20,000 people, officials said.

Smoke from a wildfire burning east of Napa, Calif. Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle, via Associated Press

At least 21 people had been killed as of Wednesday afternoon. Eleven deaths were in Sonoma County, while six people died in Mendocino County, two in Napa County, and two in Yuba County.

A firefighter hosing down a home in Coffey Park. Kent Porter/The Press Democrat, via Associated Press

About two miles northeast of Coffey Park, dozens of homes were destroyed in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa. At least some of the buildings of the Fountaingrove Inn and the Santa Rosa Hilton, shown below, were burned to the ground.

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Buildings were destroyed in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa. Before: Google Street View; After: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

While the cause of the fires remained under investigation on Monday, officials said that the blazes spread rapidly because of wind gusts of over 50 miles per hour. Dry vegetation and low humidity contributed to the intensity of the fires.

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