Nearly 2,000 residents were evacuated and two homes burned in a wildfire that started when three people lit a campfire in the dry foothills of Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains, authorities said.

A huge southern California wildfire carved a path to the sea and burned on the beach yesterday, but firefighters got a break as gusty Santa Ana winds turned into breezes.

Firefighters battling a huge Southern California wildfire have ordered new evacuations in a neighbourhood overlooking canyons where flames are surging.

A shooting spree through California has left four people dead, including the gunman, and several others injured.

Apparel-maker Oakley has sued Rory McIlroy and Nike, insisting the world No 1 and the equipment giant breached his existing contract with Oakley when he recently signed a new deal with Nike estimated to be worth $250m.

Police and a community group have warned homeless people in California not to sleep alone on the streets because a serial killer has already murdered three of them.

Thousands of angry bees attacked a man in a wheelchair, sending him and three others who came to his aid to hospital.

Lawyers for Mattel filed papers declaring their intent to appeal against a US federal judge’s award of more than $309m to rival toy maker MGA Entertainment in the fight over ownership of the popular Bratz fashion doll line.

California’s blistering autumn heatwave sent temperatures to an all-time record high of 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius) in central Los Angeles, with many seeking refuge at the beach or in the shade.

FIREFIGHTERS made more progress yesterday against a giant wildfire that has ravaged a national forest north of Los Angeles, with another day of co-operative weather a big help to beleaguered fire crews.

A wildfire in the mountains above Los Angeles has surged in every direction, going in a single day from a modest threat to a danger to some 10,000 homes.

Firefighters battling wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes in Southern California were today aided by calmer winds.

Los Angeles appeared surrounded by flames today, with three wildfires consuming spacious mansions and tiny mobile homes at the edges where bone-dry wilderness meets burgeoning development.

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.

Donativum, trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.

Two huge wildfires burned into neighbourhoods near Los Angeles last night, forcing frantic evacuations, destroying homes and causing at least two deaths.

Current US economic troubles are proof that Muslims were on the verge of victory, a prominent American member of al-Qaida said in an English-language video released today.

A child molester jumped to his death from a California court after being convicted of abusing a young girl.

Courteney Cox says her family, including three-year-old daughter Coco, were lucky after they were forced to evacuate their Malibu home to escape the recent fires in the area.

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

Southern California is lining up its fire crews and aircraft to get in first if the hot, dry Santa Ana winds expected to return this weekend cause major flare-ups.

A boy playing with matches started one of the Californian wildfires which destroyed 21 homes, police said today.

Firefighters aided by damp weather made progress against the last of Southern California’s big wildfires, hoping to squash the remaining flames before the possible return of winds this week.

Firefighters battling wildfires menacing southern California discovered the bodies of six people killed by the flames.

HOT, dry Santa Ana winds have fanned the blazes which have ravaged southern California this week.

US President George Bush is planning to visit areas affected by devastating wildfires tomorrow, after declaring a federal emergency for seven counties.

THOUSANDS more residents were ordered to evacuate their homes yesterday, bringing the number of people chased away by the flames that have engulfed southern California to at least 300,000.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated and thousands of homes remain at risk tonight as wildfires tear through southern California, US authorities said.

More than a quarter of a million people have been evacuated and thousands of homes were at risk today as wild fires tore through southern California, US authorities said.

US rapper Snoop Dogg has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a dangerous weapon, his lawyer has said.

A wildfire fanned by Santa Ana winds destroyed four seaside mansions and damaged at least two others early today as it spread over more than 20 acres in California’s Malibu celebrity enclave.

Rapper Snoop Dogg was arrested last night for investigation of illegally possessing a handgun and drugs as he left NBC Studios after performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, police said.

Calmer winds helped crews fighting a massive wildfire today that killed four firefighters and critically injured a fifth, while investigators searched for the arsonist who set the blaze roaring through the canyons of Southern California.

A wildfire that authorities believe was sparked by remnants of a controlled burn grew in size overnight but crews made significant progress in containing it, officials said today.

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

Firefighters returned today to battle a massive blaze creeping toward the mountain resort town of Big Bear Lake, California, after resting overnight for the first time in days.

THE hot Santa Ana wind that has been driving California’s most destructive wildfires in history was giving way to cooler, more humid conditions yesterday, but that did little to tame the blazing tide as crews fought to save more homes.

With wind-driven flames threatening the densely populated areas near Los Angeles, firefighters dug today for another brutal day battling one of the most destructive and deadly wildfire outbreaks in California history.

Ash fell on the beach like snow as California’s deadliest outbreak of fires in more than a decade destroyed more than 1,100 homes, killed at least 15 people and consumed land from south of the Mexican border to the suburbs north of Los Angeles.

WILDFIRES driven by hot Santa Ana winds flared into gigantic waves of flame that devoured entire neighbourhoods, choking the sky over Southern California with smoke and ash, and killing at least 13 people, in the state's deadliest outbreak of fires in more than a decade.

POWERFUL Santa Ana winds kicked up before dawn yesterday, driving a ferocious firestorm that had already burned at least 200 homes onto a path toward more neighbourhoods.

The threat of hot, dry Santa Ana winds forecast this weekend prompted authorities to evacuate hundreds of people today as one of three untamed fires in southern California threatened to block their only way out.

A CALIFORNIAN mother’s driving lesson ended in tragedy when she ran over four relatives while practising parallel parking.