A wave of residents returned to their southern California mountain communities following a week of wildfires that have killed 20 people and destroyed more than 3,400 homes.

A SECOND wave of residents displaced by Southern California’s wildfires were being allowed home yesterday after a weekend of cooler, calmer weather helped firefighters begin to bring the blazes under control.

A second group of residents forced to flee their houses by Southern California’s wildfires were being allowed to return home today.