Strong winds are spreading multiple wildfires across parched parts of California as officials worry the gusts could ignite more blazes and force more evacuations in areas already under a state of emergency.

A wildfire tore through Los Angeles’ northern foothills early today sending thousands of residents fleeing in the dark, forcing a hospital to evacuate and destroying an untold number of homes.

A DRUG offender with mental health problems who was recently released from jail has killed six people in a shooting spree, including a policewoman.

A man shot dead a sheriff’s deputy in Washington state, then led officers on a car chase in which he killed five other people before turning himself in, police said today.

A 15-truck pile-up on a rain-slicked southern California freeway left 10 people injured, at least one missing and severed a key transit link between Los Angeles and San Francisco, authorities said.

FIREFIGHTERS struggled yesterday to prevent a fire that has charred nearly 39 square miles of brushland from crossing Interstate 5, which would force authorities to again shut down traffic on one of California’s busiest freeways.

A passenger slashed a Greyhound driver’s throat as he drove through California last night, causing the vehicle to roll into a field.