California wildfires: About 1,000 homes evacuated

A fire which broke out near a Santa Clarita hydroelectric plant in on Thursday has grown to over 5,500 acres in size, and leaving three firefighters injured out of the 975 on the scene.

vacuations have taken across the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

The blaze is around 20 per cent contained with temperatures in the area having risen into the triple figures, according to a US Forest Service spokesman.

Approximately half a dozen structures have been damaged, and 50 more are under threat in the Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth regions.

Meanwhile, an ongoing fire which has swept across New Mexico’s Santa Fe national forest has spread to eight square miles (21 sq km), and a wind change incited fears that it would reach nearby cities, being only 25 miles (40 km) away.

The Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter at a nearby high school as a precautionary measure, with some 140 homes evacuated.

The state Department of Health has cautioned residents in the Pecos, Santa Fe and Espanola areas to prepare for smoke and avoid prolonged outdoor activity.