Wildfires rage on in California

Latest blaze blackens huge area near San Francisco - NBC's Jay Gray reports

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Northern California is on fire right now, and the wall of flames just keeps growing.

"We're just trying to keep up with what is burning and trying to get a head of it, but we can't get ahead of it." said Battalion Chief Darren Johnson.

The worst of it is just north of San Francisco. Thick smoke, and a tunnel of flames lined roads as sheriff's deputies led an evacuation effort in Napa Valley.

Thousands rushed to escape the the fire as the blaze exploded overnight. Gusting winds push the flames, while dry brush and timber feed them. Strike teams are struggling to save anything they can.

"Right now the focus is continuing to protect structures and try to prevent it from pushing to the south." said Paul Lowenthal with the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

It has been an overwhelming fire season across the state. Since the beginning of the year, Cal-Fire has worked more than 8,000 wildfires. Those fires have scorched more than 3.7-million acres across the Golden State.

Since August 15, 26 people have died, and more than 7,000 structures have been destroyed. Charred shells of homes and vehicles mark the path of the latest blaze. Firefighters and survivors alike say they're pushed to their limits.

"It's really getting to be too much to bear. It's just too much.

An the flames just continue to spread.