Evacuated residents of a wealthy part of California were returning today to see whether their homes survived a wildfire.

A wildfire driven by the dry, seasonal Santa Ana wind destroyed dozens of expensive homes as it raced through the canyons and hills above Malibu, California, today, forcing hundreds of residents to flee.

CHILLY temperatures and dense fog helped stall the deadly wildfires that raced across Southern California yesterday as a few hardy residents waited nervously to see if the flames would claim the last sizeable town still under threat.