A major wildfire was raging Thursday near Los Angeles, sparking evacuations in the San Fernando Valley, fire-fighters said. The fire already spanned more than 2,800 hectares (7,000 acres), despite more than 1,000 fire-fighters working to control it. Smoke was visible for kilometers around.
"We're worried because we have an abundance of fuel. This is a time of year that we have a lot of high winds, what are called the Santa Ana winds," police chief Mark Savage told CNN television.