As of noon Wednesday, the fires had burned an area of more than 426,000 acres, or about 670 square miles — an area larger than New York City. More than 900,000 people — including more than 250 AT&T employees — have been evacuated from their homes, the largest evacuation ever in California. More than 1,500 homes have been destroyed and another 26,000 were still threatened. Approximately 10,000 firefighters from all over the West were on the scene. Property damage is estimated at more than $1 billion.

So far, the blazes have killed one person and injured at least 50.

While the fires are still raging, it's impossible for AT&T to get in and accurately assess the impact of the disaster. But here's an update on what we know, what we're doing and what comes next:

Overall response

• AT&T has activated its Southern California Emergency Operations Center and is fully mobilizing in response to the wildfires.
• Where conditions allow, AT&T crews are actively working to restore damaged infrastructure and ensure network capacity for emergency responders and residents.
• AT&T is mobilizing resources throughout the state and nation to prepare for what is anticipated to be a significant restoration effort. We have identified staging areas and are moving materials and resources to them. We will be ready to move in and repair damage as soon as conditions are safe to do so.

Network status

• In the San Diego area, 95 percent of AT&T's wireless network has continued to serve customers throughout the crisis. There has been some call congestion in areas where fires have forced large-scale evacuations. In the Los Angeles area, more than 99 percent of the wireless network is unaffected.
• Our wired network also has continued to perform very well throughout the crisis. In San Diego, we continue to see some blocked calls due to network congestion, which is typical in the early stages of a crisis.
• Eight central office locations have been evacuated.
• Several communities are isolated due to fire damage to the network, meaning they can make calls to the immediate area but not beyond it. AT&T will begin restoration efforts in each of these areas as soon as our technicians can safely gain access. Temporary radio restoration trailers have arrived from Northern California to assist in the effort.

Help for affected employees

• Evacuated employees in Southern California can apply for short-term assistance through the AT&T Foundation Employee Disaster Relief Fund. Grants of up to $25,000 per family are available and can be used to defray the cost of food, clothing, physical and mental health care, housing, transportation, education and other basic necessities during the evacuation period.

Community support

• We're working closely with local, state and federal agencies to provide communications support including expanded voice and data capabilities at key command posts.
• We're establishing communications support services at key evacuation centers, including wireless phones, wireless laptops and phone chargers at QUALCOMM Stadium in San Diego and an array of services at the FEMA center there, including 10 DSL connections and wireless services.
• AT&T has donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross for fire relief.
• We're providing certain voice-mail and call-forwarding features, free of charge, for 30 days to displaced consumers and small businesses. For customers who need a local service line installed at a temporary or new location, the Line Connection Fee will be waived.
• Residents can make free calls at all Southern California AT&T retail store locations.

Tips for customers
We're offering these tips to customers in the area:

• Limit mobile phone calls; use text messaging to communicate with family and friends. This will help free up the network so that emergency personnel and 9-1-1 users can communicate without delay.
• If you're being evacuated, be sure to pack your wireless battery charger. Have an alternate plan to recharge your battery (e.g., charging via your car charger, extra mobile phone batteries, use of a disposable phone battery). If you've already been evacuated, stop by an AT&T retail location to charge your phone free of charge.
• Forward your home number to your wireless number. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone, even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services such as voice mail, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding and call forwarding-busy line/don't answer may be useful.
• Program all of your emergency contact numbers into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and hospital, as well as your family members.

If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.