Washington, Shawwal 17, 1436, Aug 2, 2015, SPA -- Thousands of firefighters battled blazes Saturday in northern California, where record heat and dry conditions were complicating efforts to extinguish them, dpa reported. More than 20 large wildfires were burning in the state, many caused by lightning strikes, news reports said. Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, saying severe drought and extreme weather have turned much of the state into a tinderbox. The declaration will allow faster deployment of resources to the fire zones, the Los Angeles Times reported. An estimated 8,000 firefighters already have been deployed. The US Forest Service said a blaze in Modoc County in the north-eastern corner of the state claimed the life of one firefighter. Another fire that started Wednesday north of San Francisco spread to an area covering about 8,900 hectares. Only about 5 percent of that fire was under control, according to the newspaper. It had forced about 650 people to leave their homes. "This is an unprecedented fire event that is happening on this forest, and forests throughout California," US Forest Service fire management official Mike Minton said. "It's eclipsing any fire event we've had before, even the 2008 fires." -- SPA 17:30 LOCAL TIME 14:30 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w