From Fighting Fires to Evacuating — The Week in Photos

A series of wildfires sparked by lightning has spread rapidly across wide stretches of Northern California. Over 70,000 people have been forced to evacuate. These are just some of the many images and moments from the past week.

• For more on where the fires are located, this map updates hourly (Leer en español). 
• Unsure what to pack in an emergency bag? KQED has some guidance (Leer en español).

“This is the worst that I’ve ever seen. I knew that someday it would happen," Noel Allen said of the fires. Allen owns The Treehouse Cafe in Boulder Creek with Frankie Brenchley-Allen. They have been working to support and feed the fire department in any way possible. "The whole ridge — Bonny Doon got hit really bad,” he said, "you just try to support the community.”

“I didn't take it very seriously,” Luke Piland said of the evacuation orders in Boulder Creek. "Instead of packing like I should have, I was at Safeway in Scott's Valley, handing out water to other evacuees.”

“That was a mistake,” he said in retrospect, “we’re gonna keep our fingers crossed that we can go home, and if not we’ll rebuild.”

“We left at 7:30 a.m. I’ll be honest with you, it was really hard. There’s only so much you can pack in a car,” said Sharon Fisk.

Now that she's at the evacuation fairgrounds she said “everyone really goes out of their way to help — but it’s just really hard when you are not in your home.” Keeping cats in the tent is not that easy, she said.