Over a thousand wildfires are burning in Northern California as firefighters struggle to contain the massive blazes. The biggest and most stubborn fire is in the Big Sur region, authorities said.

Firefighting teams are struggling to get some of the largest of 1,420 blazes enclosed, the state Office of Emergency Services said. Authorities estimated that about 364,600 acres, or almost 570 square miles, were consumed by the wildfire.
    
A red flag warning was issued for Northern California and will be in effect at 8 a.m. EDT Monday. The "red flag warning" is the admonition for the most extreme fire danger.

The Forest Service released an outlook last week in which it predicted a long and fiery summer throughout northern California. The Service said the main causes for the massive wildfires which are spreading throughout the state are the lower-than-average rainfall as well as the record levels of dry vegetation. The outlook said most of the wildfires were ignited by lightning storms which are quite unusual for this time. The summer storms will most likely be even fiercer, the Forest Service said in its report.

"Our most widespread and/or critical lightning events often occur in late July or August, and we have no reason to deviate from that," the outlook said.

The Service said it could take firefighters weeks or even months to fully contain the wildfires. More than 550 square miles have been scorched and at least 50 buildings were destroyed by the numerous blazes, said state emergency official Gregory Renicka.

Approximately 19,500 firefighters are making huge efforts to contain the blazes and 926 helicopters have been used in the process.