At least six die in wildfires as orange skies blacken US

At least six people died in the western United States as states such as Washington and Oregon apart from California are scrambling to control the rapidly spreading flames.

Three people died of a massive wildfire triggered by lightning in northern California, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes, authorities said on Wednesday.

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Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the victims were found in two separate locations, as told by news agency Reuters.

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California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Draper said that one person who was apparently trying to escape the blazes was found dead in a car, reported Bay Area News Group.

Earlier, in a news conference, fire officials said hundreds, if not thousands of homes and other structures have been destroyed or damaged by fires northeast of San Francisco.

As firefighters are struggling to reach many areas burning, officials have warned of potential mass deaths under orange skies that have engulfed the region.

"This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state's history," Oregon Governor Kate Brown said, adding that as many as five towns were "substantially destroyed".

The fatalities confirmed on Wednesday include a one-year-old kid who died as his parents tried to escape blazes 130 miles east of Seattle, in Washington state.

As many as two more deaths were reported in the Santiam Canyon region, 60 miles south of Portland, Oregon.