18 people killed, 2000 homes destroyed in California fires
Agence France-Presse
Los Angeles, October 29
More than 11,000 firefighters were on Tuesday battling California's worst ever wildfires that have killed at least 18 people, destroyed 2,000 homes, and forced tens of thousands into shelters.
The sky over the second largest US city, Los Angeles, was painted an eerie hue of orange as a thick pall of smoke from fires burning over at least 217,200 hectares (543,000 acres) blocked out the sun.
Giant plumes of smoke stretched miles up into the sky and were visible from space, as up to 50,000 more residents of mountainous areas east of here fled their homes as flames exploded through fire cordons.
"This may well be the worst disaster the state has faced," outgoing California Governor Gray Davis said of the 14 fires, many of which are now thought to have been sparked by arsonists.
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