By Curtis Skinner
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| Firefighters throw dirt on a hot spot while battling the Valley Fire near Middleton, California September 14, 2015. REUTERS/Noah Berger |
LAKEPORT, Calif. (Reuters) - A Northern California wildfire ranked as the most destructive to hit the drought-stricken U.S. West this year has killed a woman and burned some 400 homes to the ground, fire officials said on Monday, and they expect the property toll to climb.
The so-called Valley Fire erupted on Saturday and spread quickly to a cluster of small communities in the hills and valleys north of Napa County's wine-producing region, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents.
