A helicopter attacks a wildfire burning in the north county of San Diego Tuesday, May 13, 2014, in San Diego.
The threat of two wildfires pushed by gusty winds eased Tuesday night after they chewed through canyons parched by California's drought. Some residents in San Diego began returning home after the blazes prompted evacuation orders for more than 20,000 homes on the city's outskirts and surrounding areas and another 1,200 homes and businesses in Santa Barbara County 250 miles (400 kilometres)to the north.
No homes were reported damaged in either fire, and authorities said the San Diego-area blaze was dying down. Winds in Santa Barbara County calmed down significantly after sunset, and firefighters were beginning to surround that fire. But the rugged terrain and unseasonably warm temperatures made firefighting difficult, creating some scary moments.
"At the point the fire is right now, we believe we have a pretty good handle on it," San Diego Fire Chief Javier Mainar said. "We hope to do some more work through the night and into tomorrow, but I think the largest part of the emergency has passed."
The flames that erupted in the fire-prone Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego quickly grew to 700 acres (280 hectares), driven by hot, dry Santa Ana winds.
By late afternoon, the flames ripped through canyons to approach expensive homes and new subdivisions on the ridges. It spread to Rancho Santa Fe, one of the wealthiest US communities, known for its multimillion-dollar homes, golfing and horseback riding.
Black and gray smoke billowed over northern San Diego, filled with whirling ash and embers that created small spot fires. Flames crept within yards (metres) of some homes before firefighters doused them.
On one road, people on bicycles and skateboards stopped to watch as a plane dumped water on flames a half-mile (800 metres) away. At least two high schools and three elementary schools were evacuated.
The city of San Diego issued between 16,000 and 17,000 evacuation orders, according to San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore, including 300 that Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman described as mandatory. Gore said the sheriff's department issued an additional 5,000 evacuation orders outside city limits.
By nightfall, an unknown number of San Diego residents began returning home as the fire moved away from the city, Gore said.
Meanwhile, in the Santa Barbara County community of Lompoc, 1,200 homes and businesses were under an evacuation order from a fire that quickly grew to more than 500 acres (200 hectares).
There were downed power lines and heavy brush in the area, said David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Months of drought have left much of the landscape ready to burn. Downtown Los Angeles has recorded just 6.08 inches (15.44 centimetres) of precipitation with little time left in the July 1-June 30 rain year. That's less than half its annual average rainfall.
"Fire season last year never really ended in Southern California," said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. His agency has responded to more than 1,350 fires since Jan. 1, compared with an average of 700 by this time of year.