California fires: state of emergency

Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as more than a dozen forest fires burned out of control in southern California.

Firefighters and residents face two more days of high winds, hot temperatures and low humidity in the drought-stricken region, weather forecasters have said.

The area hit lies from the celebrity enclave of Malibu down to the Mexican border.

Fires in Malibu burned 2,200 acres overnight and destroyed at least ten buildings. No injuries were reported.

To the south in rural San Diego County, officials said forest fires left one person dead and 17 others injured, including four firefighters.

Another fire in San Diego forced the evacuation of all 36,000 residents of the town of Ramona.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for seven counties stretching from Santa Barbara in the north to the Mexican border.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said the fire was expected "to last a couple of days and literally thousands of homes are going to be threatened".

The Santa Monica mountains above Malibu are tinder dry as southern California comes out of one of its driest years on record.

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