Three separate wildfires in southern California have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to flee the fast-moving flames. The fires, to the north, north-west and south of Los Angeles have burnt through dry brush and forest in the suburban canyonlands around the city. California's governor has declared states of emergency in Orange, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties. A drop in the wind force has given some relief to the hard-pressed fire crews. The largest of the fires is in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Sylmar, up against the canyons of the Angeles National Forest. Ten-thousand people were ordered to evacuate their homes as the flames raced through the Oakridge Mobile Home Park late on Friday, destroying about 500 of the structures. Firefighters were braving 50ft flame lengths as they swept across the mobile homes.
"We have never lost in recent times anything close to this number [of homes]," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
He blamed the spread of the fire on "absolutely atrocious" winds of up to 80 mph (130 km/h) that pushed the fire out of the forests and into the suburbs, jumping wide highways in the process. Read the full story here. Miss M.
