Thousands of people were under orders to evacuate in regions surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area on Aug. 19 as nearly 40 wildfires blazed across the state amid a blistering heat wave now in its second week.

Smoke blanketed the city of San Francisco.

Police and firefighters went door-to-door before dawn Wednesday in a frantic scramble to warn residents to evacuate as fire encroached on Vacaville, a city of about 100,000 that lies between San Francisco and Sacramento. Fire officials said at least 50 structures were destroyed and 50 were damaged and that four people were injured.

Television footage showed some homes in flames and thick ash dropping in a rural area near Interstate 80 as the fire appeared to head toward more densely populated areas.

Diane Bustos told KPIX-TV that she and her husband tried to drive out but their vehicle caught on fire and they had to flee on foot.

“I got all these flames on me and I lost my shoe, but I made it. God saved me,” she said.

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