In Pics | California fires: The deadliest fire of 2020 ravages hamlets

The deadliest fire of 2020 — a year that has already shattered California records for the most area burned. Five of the top 10 biggest blazes in state history are still burning. The California wildfires have already incinerated over 3 million acres of land this year and are expected to continue till December. Here's how the California fires are ravaging the hamlets:

The fact that the fires this year are layered atop the pandemic is another reason it feels so different. For millions of Californians, smoke has made the air outside toxic across much of the state, national forests are closed and some of the places most treasured by residents are being damaged. Credit: AFP Photo

Embers light up a hillside behind the Bidwell Bar Bridge as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville on September 9, 2020. Credit: AP Photo

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighter knocks down hotpots near Lake Oroville as wildfires rage across California. Credit: Reuters Photo

For millions of Californians who are fortunate enough to be outside the direct path of the flames, air quality is a major concern. Credit: AFP Photo

More than 300,000 acres are burning across the northwestern state including 35 major wildfires, with at least five towns 'substantially destroyed' and mass evacuations taking place. Credit: AP Photo

Satellite images show thick smoke plume from intense fires in the US West Coast on September 9, 2020, as 'unprecedented' wildfires fuelled by strong winds and searing temperatures rage across a wide swathe of California, Oregon and Washington. Credit: AFP Photo

Firefighters cut defensive lines and light backfires to protect structures behind a CalFire fire station during the Bear fire in California on September 9, 2020. Credit: AFP Photo

A home burns during the Bear fire, part of the North Lightning Complex fires in the Berry Creek area of unincorporated Butte County, on September 9, 2020. Credit: AFP Photo

A firefighter keeps watch over creeping flames during the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest on September 11, 2020 in Monrovia. Credit: AFP Photo

A firefighting jet tanker drops fire retardant on the Bobcat Fire at the Angeles National Forest on September 11. Credit: AFP Photo

A vehicle of the San Diego Humane Society's Emergency Response Team is seen on a road amid the Valley Fire in San Diego county. Credit: AFP Photo