Wildfires tear through western US during heatwave

LOS ANGELES – Wildfires fuelled by soaring temperatures in the western United States have scorched thousands of acres, forcing hundreds of families to flee, US officials said on Sept 9.

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 Sept 5 to the east of the city and exploded over the weekend, consuming more than 8,000ha 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 Sept 8 afternoon and had consumed 486ha by Sept 9 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 31ha 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 2,630ha of heavy timber and brush since it started on Sept 7.

At least 12,000 people in south Reno have been told to leave their homes, with more than a dozen buildings already known to have been damaged.