Residents evacuated as California wildfire spreads

About 1,500 people have fled and three are injured as a wildfire in the southern California mountains quickly spreads.

Several small communities have been evacuated.

The wildfire of more than nine square miles (23 sq kms) raged out of control in the San Jacinto Mountains, said Lucas Spelman, of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Two firefighters and a burned civilian were the ones injured, state fire officials said.

Fire officials said about a dozen structures were damaged or destroyed, but could not say how many were homes.

Footage from TV news helicopters and photos from the scene showed several houses in flames.

More than 500 firefighters, helped by five helicopters and five air tankers, were working to protect homes and get ahead of the flames.