Raging wildfires across California this week forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Firefighters are struggling to contain 12 major wildfires burning across the golden state. Hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland have burned in the fiery infernos.

One northern wildfire started on Monday tore through the township of Weed, California. Fanned by high winds, the fire damaged or destroyed 100 structures, including the town’s primary employer—the lumber mill.

Another fire, called the “King Fire,” was deliberately lit on September 13 near the south fork of the American River Canyon and Silver Creek Canyon. It has already burned through 73,000 acres of steep forested terrain. This fire threatens 12,000 homes and costs $5 million per day to fight.

In central California near Lake Bass, another wildfire destroyed 21 structures, turning them into smoldering piles of ash.

“This is gut-wrenching,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Chris Christopherson told the Fresno Bee newspaper. “It makes you sick.”

Another of the 12 fires, the Happy Camp Fire has burned 125,788 acres since it started on August 11 from a lightning strike. This fire alone has cost an estimated $79 million to fight.

“Firefighters are experiencing extreme fire behavior due to drought and low fuel moisture,” Cal Fire reported Monday in an update.

The entire state of California is suffering from drought; 58 percent of the state is experiencing exceptional drought. Drought conditions have made California a tinderbox just waiting to be ignited.

Cal Fire has responded to 4,800 wildfires this year—1,000 more than the yearly average. This does not account for the fires put out by federal agencies.

Announcing a state of emergency in northern California, California Gov. Jerry Brown said, “The wildfires in northern California serve as a reminder that dry conditions can be the precursor to devastating loss.” The two fires alone have burned over 73,500 acres and destroyed over 100 structures, while threatening many more.

California’s extreme drought conditions over the last three years have fueled these wildfires. One curse is leading to another in the golden state. Read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s article “California Disasters Continue—Why?” to understand more.