California fires 'like petrol burning'
As acrid smoke from more than 18,000 acres of charred brush curled skyward today, California officials feared the earlier-than-usual start of the summer wildfires season could make it the most dangerous ever.
Fire crews battled three major wildfires that topped 1,000 acres each and more than 1,000 people were ordered to evacuate at the two biggest blazes, both in Riverside County, an inland region east of Los Angeles.
