Five people have died in Northern California after flames engulfed their vehicles as they tried to flee Paradise, a mountain town north of Sacramento mostly destroyed by one of three wildfires raging across the state, authorities said on Friday.
Nearly 800 kilometres to the south, a second blaze forced the evacuation of the upscale oceanside city of Malibu and threatened the beleaguered town of Thousand Oaks, where a gunman killed 12 people this week in a rampage in a bar and dance hall.
A third wildfire was also expanding in Southern California's Ventura County.
As of early Friday, the Camp Fire advanced rapidly to the outskirts of Chico, 144km north of Sacramento, forcing thousands to flee the city after engulfing the nearby town of Paradise, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) officials said at a news conference.
The blaze, which broke out on Thursday, had more than tripled in size to 2838ha and was only 5% contained.
"The town is devastated, everything is destroyed," said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesman Scott Maclean, referring to Paradise, which has a population of 26,000.
In addition to the five people found dead in their vehicles, many were forced to abandon their cars and run for their lives down the sole road through the mountain town. About 2000 structures were destroyed in the area, officials said.
In Southern California, the 4,047ha Woolsey Fire led authorities on Friday morning to expand mandatory evacuation orders to the entire city of Malibu, known for the many celebrities that call it home.
"If you are ready to go, go," Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Chief John Benedict told those in evacuations areas. "And if you've been told to go, get out of there."
In all, the Woolsey Fire led authorities to issue evacuation orders for 75,000 homes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Video shot from a news helicopter showed cars at a standstill on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, about 48km west of downtown Los Angeles. An unspecified number of homes were destroyed there, according to local media.
The Woolsey Fire broke out on Thursday and quickly jumped the 101 Freeway toward Malibu. It was also threatening parts of nearby Thousand Oaks in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles, the site of the shooting massacre earlier this week.
A former US Marine combat veteran opened fire in a bar packed with college students in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday night, killing 12 people and stunning a community with a reputation for safety.
Linda Parks, a Ventura County supervisor, whose district covers Thousand Oaks, lamented the timing of the wildfire, coming so soon after the massacre.
"We are still reeling, but we are also very resilient," she said.
No fatalities have been reported in two southern California wildfires.
California Acting Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday declared a state of emergency for areas affected by the Woolsey and Hill fires in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Also burning in Ventura County was the Hill Fire, which had scorched about 2428ha on Friday morning, Lorenzen said.
CELEBRITIES FLEE HOMES
Kim Kardashian, Alyssa Milano and Melissa Etheridge were among thousands fleeing from their homes in and around Malibu on Friday, as the fast-moving wildfire forced evacuations from the celebrity-packed area.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that he had abandoned his vast "Bleak House" museum collection of fantasy and horror memorabilia, while singer Etheridge said she had moved into a hotel.
The entire 12,000 population of Malibu, which stretches 43.5km along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California and up into the Santa Monica mountains, has been placed under mandatory evacuation.
Malibu and nearby Calabasas are home to hundreds of celebrities and entertainment executives attracted by its ocean views, rolling hills and large, isolated estates.
Current and former residents include Barbra Streisand, Cher, Tom Hanks, Judd Apatow and Britney Spears.
Kardashian, and her sister Kourtney, said they had left their homes in nearby Calabasas late on Thursday. "I had just one hour to pack up and evacuate our home," Kim Kardashian wrote in an Instagram Story.
Milano, a leading force in the #MeToo social movement against sexual harassment, asked for help getting five horses out of the area. "I just had to evacuate my home from the fires. I took my kids, dogs, computer and my Doc Marten boots," the actress tweeted.
The Malibu area is also home to dozens of filming locations. One of them, the Western Town at Paramount Ranch where Westworld is filmed, was burned.
