Destructive wildfires race across the U.S. West

Firefighter Jay Wilkens monitors a flaming shed and boat as the Holiday fire burns on July 7, 2018.

In heat-stricken Southern California, crews have built at least 80 percent containment on two major wildfires — one that destroyed 20 homes in Santa Barbara County and a central San Diego County fire that burned 18 structures.

The sun rises behind a home leveled on July 7.

Powerful winds that sent an overnight inferno hopscotching through the Santa Barbara County community of Goleta vanished in the morning, allowing firefighters to extinguish smoldering ruins of an estimated 20 structures, including homes.

A charred statuette stands in the remains of a destroyed home.

Eric Durtschi surveys the remains of his destroyed house on July 7.

Durtschi, his wife and six children had left Utah and moved in just a few weeks ago. 

A burnt car sits among the remains of a destroyed home on July 7.

A firefighter battles flames at the Alpine Oaks Estates mobile home park in San Diego County on July 6. 

Firefighters watch as flames from the County Fire climb a hillside on July 1.

The state's largest blaze, the 138-square-mile County Fire that is burning in Yolo and Napa counties, was 57 percent contained on July 8. It has destroyed 10 structures since it broke out June 30.

Flames from the County fire burn above Cache Creek Casino Resort on June 30.

A firefighter scrambles to stop a wildfire as wind drives embers across Highway 20 near on July 1.

Celia Corona and her son, Marco, sleep at Basalt High School, in Basalt, Colorado, after evacuating from a wildfire in El Jebel, Colorado, on July 5.

A plane drops fire retardant on the Lake Christine wildfire on July 4.

Craig Hotshots firefighters take a break from battling the Weston Pass Fire on July 2, near Fairplay. In Colorado, more than 2,500 homes were under evacuation orders as firefighters battled more than a half-dozen wildfires.

Smoke rises from a wildfire near Strawberry Reservoir on July 5.

In Utah, more residents were allowed back into their homes Sunday after being driven out by a wind-fueled fire. The blaze burning near a popular fishing lake 80 miles southeast of Salt Lake City is now 30 percent contained, according to Duchesne County Sheriff's officials. 

Burned structures caused by a wildfire near Duchesne on July 5.

The wildfire has charred about 75 square miles and destroyed 90 structures, including homes, since starting July 1.

Photos: Wildfires scorch drought-stricken West