LOS ANGELES - At least 130 homes have been destroyed by a wildfire raging outside Los Angeles, as a break in the weather on Friday gave firefighters a chance to tame the blaze.
Hurricane-strength winds this week fuelled an explosion in the Mountain Fire near Camarillo, which grew rapidly to over 8,000 hectares.
Thousands of people in the path of the inferno were forced to flee, some with only minutes to gather possessions and pets as unpredictable flames leapt from home to home.
The blaze erupted Wednesday morning and spread rapidly, fanned by fierce seasonal Santa Ana winds from California's desert interior.
Gusts up to 130 kilometres an hour pushed smoke and flames sideways, with terrifying footage showing fire engulfing brush, orchards and properties.
Winds dropped on Friday, with meteorologists saying they did not expect them to return for at least a few days.
That was welcome news for firefighters, some of whom had been on the frontlines for 36 hours straight, said Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner.
Nevertheless, the blaze remained only seven percent contained, and the area -- home to 30,000 people -- was not out of danger.
"The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain, with dry and receptive fuels, which have challenged containment efforts," said an update from Cal Fire.
"The fire remains a threat to critical infrastructure. Islands of unburned fuel will continue to burn within the fire footprint."