Paradise Fire: California wildfire leaves town in ruins

A fierce wildfire racing across Northern California has destroyed parts of the Sierra foothills, including one town, officials say.

The so-called Camp Fire, which started early on Thursday near Camp Creek, has been fuelled by strong winds and dry forest.

Some residents in the town of Paradise, which was "devastated", were trapped by the flames, state fire officials said.

Thousands in the region have evacuated, including from schools and hospitals.

There are unconfirmed reports of casualties, which an official said could take days to confirm.

"[Paradise] is devastated, everything is destroyed. There's nothing left standing," said Scott Maclean, the state's forestry and fire protection spokesman.

The Camp Fire had burned through 20,000 acres as of Thursday afternoon, local time, according to California Fire officials.

As winds approached 50mph (80km/h), causing the fire to grow rapidly in just a few hours, some residents were forced to abandon vehicles and escape on foot, local media reported.

Further south in Ventura County near Los Angeles, strong winds are preventing efforts to tackle another massive blaze - a few miles from the scene of a mass shooting in Thousands Oaks that claimed 12 lives on Wednesday.

The second wildfire is said to have scorched 10,000 acres, according to officials.