Wildfires tear through western US during heatwave

LOS ANGELES, United States: Wildfires fueled by soaring temperatures in the western United States have scorched thousands of acres, forcing hundreds of families to flee, US officials said on Monday.

A blaze burning out of a control near Los Angeles sparked mandatory evacuations as it tore through swathes of tinder-dry California countryside around popular tourist spots. The so-called Line Fire erupted on Thursday to the east of the city and exploded over the weekend, consuming more than 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) and threatening tens of thousands of homes and other buildings.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been imposed and major roads shuttered, as more than 1,700 firefighters battle to contain the fast-moving flames. Footage and photos from the scene show towering flames racing up the chaparral-covered hillsides.

Another blaze, north of Los Angeles, broke out on Sunday afternoon and had consumed 1,200 acres by Monday morning. Firefighters ordered evacuations from the Bridge Fire as crews tackled it from the ground and from the air.

A punishing heatwave that has gripped the region since the middle of last week was exacerbating the problem, with high heat and gusty conditions making the spread of flames less predictable.

A much smaller fire in the north of the state was also causing concern, with 4,000 people fleeing the 76-acre Boyles Fire in Clearlake. Firefighters said 30 buildings had already been affected by the fire and up to 50 vehicles had been destroyed. In Nevada, the out-of-control Davis Fire has torn through 6,500 acres of heavy timber and brush since it started on Saturday.