California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday declared a state-wide emergency due to the ongoing fires.

A statement issued on Sunday said the move was prompted by the "effects of unprecedented high-wind events which have resulted in fires and evacuations across the state".

"We are deploying every resource available and are coordinating with numerous agencies as we continue to respond to these fires. It is critical that people in evacuation zones heed the warnings from officials and first responders, and have the local and state resources they need as we fight these fires," Governor Newsom said.

California has been devastated by two fires, named the Kincade and Tick fires, which have burnt tens of thousands of acres, destroyed structures, threatened critical infrastructure and resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.

The declaration comes hours after officials in California extended an evacuation order to 180,000 residents as strong winds fanned the Kincade fire.

The order covers sections of Santa Rosa, a city that was itself adversely affected by a wildfire two years ago.

Electricity was also shut off for an estimated 2.3 million people as from Saturday evening in an effort to prevent more fires.

To that effect, Governor Newsom announced a $75 million program for state and local authorities to deal with the effects of power cuts.

Additionally, he plans to reveal partnerships and instruments which are geared towards securing sections of the population considered medically vulnerable during these events.

Source(s): Office of the Governor of California