Wildfires prompt Brown to declare state of emergency in Calif.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for all of California in the wake of wildfires that killed one firefighter and drove hundreds of people from their homes.

California's record drought, now in its fourth year, has "turned much of the state into a tinderbox," he said.

The emergency declaration, which included the activation of the California National Guard, will speed up help for thousands of firefighters, Brown said Friday.

About 9,000 firefighters were battling 24 large wildfires in California on Saturday, Ken Pimlott, the chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire said in an interview.

Dry thunderstorms were expected to threaten much of Northern California through much of the the weekend, Pimlott said. Thunder storms with gusty winds and lightning strikes have ignited fires, hitting Trinity and Humboldt counties the hardest, he said. Temperatures were expected turn cooler on Sunday, but the state's historically parched conditions point to an active fire season ahead.

"We've had 3,897 fires, compared to the five-year average of 2,552 fires so we are way ahead of the average," Pimlott said.

The state has called in additional resources from the National Guard and from outside California.

For weeks firefighters have been putting out wildfires as quickly as they spring up, but as soon as one is contained, another ignites, Pimlott said.

"This is a real marathon, not a sprint. Nothing is going to change until we get significant precipitation and I don't mean individual storms, we need sustained rainfall over time," he said.

The U.S. Forest Service said David Ruhl, an engine captain from South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest, died while battling the Frog Fire that broke out Thursday in the Modoc National Forest about 100 miles south of Oregon. The fire quickly grew to consume 800 acres.

Ruhl, who had been working in California since June, died sometime Thursday. He was scouting the area to find ways to attack the fire when he was trapped in a wind-fueled blaze while driving down a road, officials said Saturday. Crews fighting the blaze lost communication with Ruhl, 38, on Thursday. His body was recovered on Friday.

Scott Jacobson, a co-worker and spokesman for the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, told the Associated Press that Ruhl volunteered to work in California to increase his firefighting experience and improve his skills.

"Firefighter Ruhl will be remembered for his service and bravery and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues with the U.S. Forest Service," Brown said in a statement.

In the Lower Lake area north of San Francisco, the Rocky Fire, one of the largest, remains a top priority, Pimlott said. It has consumed 22,500 acres and is only 5% contained, he said.

Firefighters have been wading through thick smoke and flying embers to turn loose horses, goats and other livestock in rural neighborhoods as their owners fled to safety, the Associated Press reported. The fast-moving fire had burned three homes by Friday and was threatening 450 other structures.

CalFire said the terrain in the area is particularly steep and rugged with limited ground access.

In central California, a blaze near Bass Lake has spread to more than 6 square miles. Residents of 200 homes in the community of Cascadel Woods were ordered to evacuate Thursday. It was 5% contained Friday as it moved southwest toward Lower Lake and Clear Lake.

In Napa Valley, a blaze destroyed more than 12 square miles in Solano County but was 92% contained by Saturday, according to CalFire. The fire, which began 10 days ago, was about 45 miles east of Napa's wine county, and vineyards were not threatened, AP reported. "We expect full containment in the next couple of days," Pimlott said.

Fires in San Bernardino and Alpine counties have incinerated nearly 50,000 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.