Wildfire is still burning in San Fernando, northwestern Los Angeles County Nov. 15, 2008. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County on Saturday following the loss of at least 165 homes by a raging wildfire fire. (Xinhua/Qi Heng) Photo Gallery>>>

    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County on Saturday following the loss of at least 165 homes by a raging wildfire fire.

    The brush fire, drive gusts that reached 70 mph overnight and into Saturday morning, has burned 2,600 acres (about 1,053 hectares) of land and prompted authorities to order the evacuation of 10,000 residents.

    The fire that was ripping through the city's northern foothills jumped two freeways, leading police to shut them down and forcing evacuees to take surface streets.

    The fire also brought down some power lines and could cause rolling blackouts, said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, pleading residents throughout the city to conserve power.

A ruptured gas line burns in front of a large estate as firefighters work to contain a wildfire which has destroyed over 100 homes in the Montecito area of Santa Barbara County, California Nov. 14, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    One resident was hospitalized in serious condition with burns over 60 percent of his body, and two firefighters were treated for minor injuries, fire spokeswoman Melissa Kelley said.

    Declaring the state of emergency, Schwarzenegger ordered all agencies of the state government to utilize and employ state personnel, equipment and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the State Emergency Plan.

    Mayor Villaraigosa also declared a local emergency shortly. He said the winds were "treacherous," warning that expected heat in the 90s Fahrenheit combined with threats to power lines from the fire could cause significant interruptions to electrical service in the city.

    "It's certainly more than we've lost over the last decade. We have lost some today, there's no question about it," the mayor said of the damages caused by the fire.

The remains of a house is still burning in San Fernando, northwestern Los Angeles County Nov. 15, 2008.(Xinhua/Qi Heng) Photo Gallery>>>

    The Los Angeles blaze threatened at least 1,000 buildings, Kelley said.

    "Near hurricane winds made it very difficult for firefighters," Los Angeles Fire deputy chief Mario Rueda said.

    More than nine hours after the blaze was first reported, fire officials said they still had no containment. About 600 firefighters were on the lines by early morning, and a total of 18aircraft were in use to fight the fire.

    About 80 miles (about 128 kilometers) to the northwest, another blaze in the Santa Barbara community of Montecito was continuing, having forced the evacuation of more than 5,400 homes and destroyed more than 110 homes.

    The Montecito fire started Thursday night, exploding through dry brush and vast stands of oil-rich eucalyptus trees. About 800 firefighters were battling the fire, managing to contain 40 percent of the fire by Saturday morning.

A fireman looks at burnt houses in San Fernando, northwestern Los Angeles County Nov. 15, 2008.(Xinhua/Qi Heng)  Photo Gallery>>>

Residents warned of poor air quality in fire zones


    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- As wildfires are flaring across Southern California this weekend, health officials issued warnings of poor air quality on Saturday.

    "What we're forecasting is that the air quality will be unhealthy for everyone" in areas where wildfires were raging, said Sam Atwood, a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Full story

State of emergency declared in California fire-stricken area 

    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday proclaimed a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County as a result of a ravaging fire that has already injured at least 13 people and destroyed more than 100 homes.

    The fire has burned approximately 2,500 acres (about 1013 hectares) of land with no containment and caused loss of power in the area, the governor said. Full story

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