South Cali wildfire forces thousands to evacuate

A structure engulfed in flames. Pics/AP

A wildfire fueled by gusty Santa Ana winds ripped through rural land southeast of Los Angeles on Monday, forcing about 4,000 people from their homes, fire authorities said. The so-called Highland Fire erupted at about 12.45 pm in dry, brushy hills near the unincorporated Riverside County hamlet of Aguanga. As of late Monday night, it had spread over about 5 sq km of land, fire spokesman Jeff LaRusso said. About 1,300 homes and 4,000 residents were under evacuation orders, he said.

The fire had destroyed three buildings and damaged six others but it wasn't clear whether any were homes. The region is sparsely populated but there are horse ranches and a large mobile home site, LaRusso said. No injuries were reported.

Wildfires along a road in Tara

Wildfire razes over 50 Aussie homes

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A wildfire killed a man, destroyed more than 50 homes and razed 20,000 hectares of farm and scrubland in eastern Australia, authorities said on Tuesday. Firefighters have been battling the blaze the Queensland state town of Tara for over a week.

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