Retirement communities built on golf courses and race horse stables housing thoroughbreds were among the sites engulfed by flames as the San Diego area became the latest front in California's wildfire fight.

With ash and smoke turning day into night, a wind-driven wildfire closed in on several Southern California communities east of Los Angeles today, destroying four houses and forcing firefighters to make their stand in back gardens.

THOUSANDS were evacuated and two major freeways were closed yesterday as flames, pushed by high winds, jumped ridges and roads in California.