San Francisco, October 12 (RHC)-- In California, the death toll from the massive wildfires has risen to 23, with hundreds more hospitalized, as the uncontrollable blazes continue to burn.  More than 20,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. 

The chief of California’s fire agency says the two most destructive fires are “zero percent contained.”  In total, more than 115,000 acres have been burned.  Drone footage of Santa Rosa, California, shows entire blocks of homes reduced to ash. 

Last year, the U.S. Forest Service warned an unprecedented 5-year drought has led to the deaths of more than 100 million trees in California, setting the stage for massive fires. 

Climate scientists believe human-driven global warming played a major role in the drought.