California brush fires: Hundreds of campers evacuated

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, The blaze that broke out in the Angeles National Forest has been dubbed Pine Fire

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from campsites in southern California as fire fighters try to contain brush fires, officials said.

More than 300 people were forced to flee a blaze that broke out in the Angeles National Forest on Friday.

A separate fire that swept over a major highway, forcing people to abandon their cars, calmed down overnight.

Light rain brought wetter air later on Saturday and helped the teams fighting the fires.

"The weather really helped,'' US Forest Service spokesman Travis Mason said.

Two people were injured from the effects of smoke inhalation from the fire that broke out on Interstate-15, the main road linking Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Image source, AP

Image caption, The blaze scorched the earth near the busy road linking Los Angeles and Las Vegas

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Fire crews tackled the blazes on the ground and in the sky

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The fierce flames destroyed several vehicles

It burned more than 40 vehicles and at least three homes, causing panic among drivers on the road, which was especially busy on Friday afternoon as people travelled ahead of the weekend.

"You could hear the explosions from people's vehicle tyres popping from the heat,'' the Associated Press quoted Lance Andrade as saying, after he was driving on I-15 as the fire jumped across the carriageway.

"I told my kids, 'Get your stuff'. I was telling people 'You'd better come out.' All of a sudden, it just came on us," Armando Aguilar told KTLA television.

The blaze is now about 45% contained, officials said. The fire in the Angeles National Forest is about 35% contained.

Wildfires are common in California, but have been exacerbated by the four-year drought gripping the state.