Wildfires in southern California have now destroyed almost 1,000 houses and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.
Officials said wildfires have scorched more than 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) over the past four days in foothills north of Los Angeles, in Orange County canyons, and in the hilly celebrity enclave of Montecito near Santa Barbara.
Easing winds have slowed flames, but smoke blocked out the sun in much of the Los Angeles area and in Orange County to the south-east yesterday after flames ripped through tinder-dry brush.
Fires crossed freeways and reduced mobile homes, multimillion dollar mansions and apartment blocks to ashes in about a dozen communities.
The fires broke out there on Thursday and incinerated 210 homes before being bought under control. The causes are not known.
Hot, gusting winds eased yesterday, allowing firefighters to create fire breaks with bulldozers and make better use of water-dropping aircraft.
Evacuation orders were lifted for more than half the estimated 50,000 people who fled their homes, but new fires threatened more than 3,500 houses. Fire officials said it would take days to extinguish all the blazes.
"This has been a very tough few days for the people of Southern California. We had the perfect storm - high winds, high temperatures and it is very, very dry," California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told a news conference.
In a Los Angeles mobile home park in Sylmar, where fire devastated 500 trailers overnight, police using dogs began a search for bodies of elderly residents who authorities fear may not have been able to get out in time.
Police said they had reports of missing persons but had accounted for only 134 residents.
"Fire raged through that park so quickly there was no way of stopping it. It was like matches," Mr Schwarzenegger said.
Reuters