Californians displaced by fire work, wait amid uncertainty

More than 20,000 evacuees still have not been allowed to return to neighbourhoods in burnt out Shasta County, home to the sixth most destructive wildfire in California history.

For too many Californians, wildfire season has turned into a series of upheavals that starts with terror of approaching flames.

That soon gives way to an anxious scramble for shelter, followed by tense days of waiting. Others continue working as they live out of hotels, relatives' homes or in sleeping bags at work.

Robert Tierney Jr is among some three dozen employees and volunteers at Redding's Dignity Health Mercy Medical who are coming to work even though their homes were damaged or destroyed.

He says he needs to pay bills and that he's grateful for a job.