Hundreds of homes under threat as a devastating wildfire sweeps through the mountains of California.

Wildfires have been spreading across Northern California since Sunday 

Fire crews contained a blaze in the nearby Sonoma County on Monday 

Now firemen are focusing battling the flames in the Santa Cruz mountains 

A house has been destroyed and hundreds of homes have been evacuated.

Fire crews in Northern California have been battling a large blaze in the Santa Cruz mountains over the weekend that has charred woodland and forced hundreds of homes to be evacuated.

The fast-moving wildfire in the mountains had destroyed 500 acres by Monday night and forced around 300 families out of their homes.

The blaze started Monday afternoon on the southern edge of Santa Clara County. It was also threatening television and radio towers.

The fires drew strength from an autumn heat wave but fire officials said they were hopeful cooler temperatures and higher humidity expected overnight would help stymie their progress.

A fireman attempts to control the fire that has forced hundreds of homes to be evacuated and has destroyed 500 acres of land in the Santa Cruz mountains in California.

Flames jump a road as they climb toward Loma Prieta peak in the mountains late on Monday.

'High temperatures and low humidity is a recipe for these fires to spread rapidly but we're looking for favorable weather throughout the night to help slow them down,' McLean said.

Firefighters working against the blaze in Sonoma County were sent to Santa Clara County after making progress against a two square-mile blaze burning near The Geysers, said McLean.

Evacuation and road closure orders were lifted in Sonoma on Monday evening after fire crews increased containment to 45 percent, McLean added.

'It's looking very good but we still need to make sure smoke and small fires inside the perimeter are taken care of,' he said.