At least 11 dead and 100 injured as wildfires ravage California's wine country: Thousands flee homes as blaze spreads and leaves orange glow over Disneyland

Wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through California wine country Monday killing at least 11 people, destroying 1,500 homes and businesses and sending thousands fleeing.

Fires raged unchecked down tree-lined streets and through upmarket neighborhoods, reducing a Hilton hotel to ash and turning the sky above Disneyland bright orange.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency as fourteen large fires burned over a 200-mile region north of San Francisco from Napa in the south to Redding in the north, fanned by 50mph winds.

At least 11 people are known to have died including a married couple, aged 100 and 99, who were unable to evacuate in time. A deaf-blind woman is also believed to be among the dead.

Those figures are expected to climb sharply in the coming days as emergency crews pick through the wreckage of burned communities. Taken together, the fires are already among the deadliest California has ever witnessed.

Charles and Sara Rippey died in their home north of Napa on Monday, granddaughter Ruby told KTVU.

The couple had recently celebrated 75 years of marriage and Charles, known as Peach, turned 100 not long ago.

'The only thing worse would have been if one survived without the other,' Ruby told the news station.

As he fled through the ember-strewn streets of his neighborhood in Santa Rosa, Jeff Okrepkie knew it was probably the last time he would see his home of the past five years standing.

His worst fears were confirmed Monday morning, when a friend sent him a photo of what was left: a smoldering heap of burnt metal and debris.

'We live in the valley, where it's concrete and strip malls and hotels and supermarkets,' Okrepkie said. 'The last thing you think is a forest fire is going to come and wipe us out.'

Also forced to evacuate were former San Francisco Giants pitcher Noah Lowry and his family. Lowry told The Associated Press that he; his wife Andrea; his two daughters Averlee Rose and Anniston; and his 2-week-old son had to leave their home in Santa Rosa in a matter of minutes as the flames approached.

Lowry says he 'can't shake hearing people scream in terror as the flames barreled down on us.'

He said he ran into a closed US 101 freeway because the flames had jumped it. But he and his family were able to get away in time and get to a friend's house where they are staying now.

Lowry, who pitched for the Giants from 2003 to 2007, now co-owns Santa Rosa Ski & Sport - an outdoor sporting goods store in Santa Rosa.

Footage filmed by a terrified couple fleeing the deadly wildfires shows flames engulfing both sides of the road as they escaped Sunday night.

The video was shot as the couple drove along Loma Roca Road in Yuba County on Sunday night as an onslaught of wildfires broke out, leaving at least 11 dead and 100 injured.

A woman in the video can be heard sobbing uncontrollably as they navigated their way down the smoke-laden road as fire scorched the ground around their car.

Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said firefighters are concentrated on saving lives rather than battling the blaze.

Deputies were dispatched to help firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers with evacuations, going door to door to rush people to safety.

Santa Rosa, the largest city in the fire area with a population of about 175,000, was hit hard. The city lost a Kmart and other businesses and homes as the blaze shut down its schools and put a Hilton Hotel in ruins.

Firefighters worked to evacuate Kaiser Permanente Hospital and Sutter Hospital as well as senior centers in northwestern Santa Rosa over night.

Emergency lines were consumed with callers reporting smoke in the area, prompting officials to ask that the public 'only use 911 if they see actual unattended flames, or are having another emergency.'