leaving everything behind. before the fire, this suburban neighborhood looked like any other. tonight, just look at the image after. the rows of charred lots where homes once stood. this evening here in california, the wildfires are still burning. the death toll rising. and there are hundreds missing. abc's senior national correspondent matt gutman on the fierce battle at this hour to save lives and homes here in california. >> reporter: tonight, firefighters stretched to the brink, hoping to get an upper hand on some of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in california history. >> we have folks on the fire lines starting their third shift right now that have not been relieved. >> reporter: the fires out of control, now twice the size of washington, d.c. and still growing. at least 2,000 structures destroyed, including entire neighborhoods. shopping centers, restaurants and hotels. this was a hilton hotel complex. you can feel the intensity of the heat coming off of it. now firefighters are so strapped, they're not worried about the flames inside, but what they are concerned about