Evacuation orders in California are in effect due to a rapidly growing wildfire that has already burned six homes south of Los Angeles.
The Norte Fire erupted on Friday in Orange County and quickly grew to 465 acres by the evening. By Saturday morning, it spread to 570 acres (2.3 sq km), with 5% containment.
One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion while battling the blaze.
Officials say the fierce Santa Ana winds will blow until Saturday, bringing further risk of more conflagrations.
The Norte Fire is one of 10 burning across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
In an update on Friday evening, Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said that six homes had either been damaged or destroyed by the Norte Fire, and one firefighter had been injured from heat exhaustion.
“We continue to engage in the firefight, and have additional resources coming,” he said.
Footage posted online showed blazes tearing through homes in the communities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
The Bryson Fire, burning in the affluent coastal city of Malibu in Los Angeles county, has also sparked evacuation orders throughout the Santa Monica mountains and has grown to 147 acres, with 52% of the blaze contained.
More than 400 firefighters have been fighting the blaze.
Further south, the Henderson Fire in San Diego county erupted on Thursday, and has grown to over 3,100 acres (12.5 sq km), including around Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, with about 35% contained as of Saturday morning.
The size of the blaze has twice forced officials to close the I-5 highway, an important route that runs the length of the US West Coast.
The fires are being fanned by the Santa Ana winds, which normally begin during cooler months from late September to May.
Officials say the winds peaked on Friday, but will remain dangerous into early Saturday morning.
Getty ImagesWinds topped 40mph (64km/h) in the Los Angeles area, the NWS said, adding that motorists should watch for debris blown into roadways.
Temperatures were far above average for this time of year in southern California, further driving up the fire danger.
The NWS has issued a heat advisory, saying that the danger of heat-related illness remained high.
Forecasts expect temperatures to reach 95F (35C) in southern California on Saturday.
