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.

Nine former and current Coca-Cola employees are suing the company, alleging it cheated workers out of millions of dollars' wages over the past four years.