MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — Earlier this summer, this small mountain town north of San Francisco opened its modest high school to residents fleeing an unusually ferocious wildfire nearby.

Now it is Middletown itself that has been evacuated — and gutted — by another blaze that shocked firefighters with its strength and speed.

The town’s small cluster of shops and cafes was spared, but behind them erratic winds sent flames zigzagging down leafy streets, torching some houses and sparing others. On Monday, some residents returned to find their homes reduced to concrete foundations, chimney stacks and rubble.

One woman wept and embraced her mother as they stood among blackened appliances and twisted metal where their family home used to be. Nearby, beige houses trimmed in white remained untouched.

“I’m in shock. I want to cry. I’m looking at my neighbors’ places, and they’re all gone, and I’m still here,” homeowner Jim Maurer said. “We’re just shaking our heads.”

Over the weekend, the blaze killed an elderly, disabled woman identified by her family as retired teacher Barbara McWilliams, 72.

McWilliams had settled in the Middletown area in the last year, her family said. Her caretaker, Jennifer Hittson, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat McWilliams had advanced multiple sclerosis and had major physical disabilities that limited her ability to walk. She died trapped in her home.