 The Los Angeles skyline is barely visible through the pall created by wildfires burning throughout California / AFP |
- Nearly 1000 homes have been destroyed
- Governor calls fires the "perfect storm"
- Firefighters struggle to gain control
FIRES have raged across California for a fourth day as investigators begin sifting through the smouldering aftermath of infernos that have destroyed more than 800 homes and forced thousands to flee.
About 800 homes, ranging from multimillion-dollar mansions to modest mobile homes, have been razed by wind-whipped fires that have erupted through the region since last Thursday.
At least 50,000 evacuation orders have been issued and nearly 8900ha have been destroyed in the blazes, which have stretched from Santa Barbara to southeast of Los Angeles.
A fire that struck in Los Angeles late on Friday was described as one of the worst to hit the city in nearly half a century but so far only 11 injuries have been reported across the entire region.
Urban search and rescue teams including cadaver dogs have been sent into the heart of the Los Angeles fire, a mobile home park in the northern suburb of Sylmar where more than 500 homes were incinerated.
Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Michael Moore said about 30 per cent of the devastated mobile home park had been searched by yesterday and no human remains had been found.
"At this point we have no missing persons, no reported missing persons or no evidence to tell us that there is loss of life,`` Mr Moore said.
Los Angeles fire officials say progress has been made in tackling the 3844ha fire, with 30 per cent contained after a lull in fierce local winds.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has declared a state of emergency in the fire affected areas, said yesterday that authorities were dealing with a "perfect storm".
"With all these fires all over, this is usually what happens at this time of the year, when we have the perfect storm, which means basically we have high winds, high temperatures and very very dry,`` Mr Schwarzenegger said.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the destruction was unprecedented.
"What you see is devastation that I`ve never seen before,`` he said.
A total of around 3700 firefighters, using helicopters, bulldozers and engines, are battling fires across the state.
The focus of firefighting efforts has shifted to Orange County, south of Los Angeles, where 4230ha is ablaze.
The fire has destroyed at least 104 homes and prompted as many as 40,000 evacuations in three counties.
Fire officials say they have struggled to keep pace with the fires as they swept through tinder-dry bush.
"We just started losing homes. We didn`t have enough units,`` said Mickey Hansen, a safety officer with the Orange County Fire Authority.
"There were just so many fires. There wasn`t enough (resources) to go around.``
Thick smoke from the Orange County fires has settled over Los Angeles, blotting out the downtown skyline as well as famous landmarks such as the city`s Hollywood sign.
California is frequently hit by scorching wildfires due to its dry climate, Santa Ana winds and recent housing booms which have seen housing spread rapidly into rural and densely forested areas.
Only just over a year ago California suffered devastation from wildfires among the worst in its history that left eight people dead, gutted 2000 homes, displaced 640,000 people and caused $US1 billion ($1.5bn) in damage.
In June and July this year, a series of about 2000 fires raged across the state, scorching some 364,230ha.
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