SHOTLIST:

Chico, California - 13 June 2008

1. Wide of smoke rising in the distance

2. Mid of smoke

3. Road closed, smoke in distance, pan to traffic and fire trucks driving on highway

4. Mid of a sign reading (English) "Closed, All Roads To Paradise"

5. Wide of a church being used as a shelter for fire evacuees

6. board showing the (English) "Shelter Rules"

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brenda Morris, American Red Cross shelter manager:

"Right now we have about 150 people here at the shelter. We have people with some special needs, elderly people. Everybody in the community is doing really well, helping donate."

8. People at the check-in are of the shelter

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Loretta Olesky, Paradise Resident:

"Oh, it's outrageous. It's something that we thought might happen one day, but we didn't think it was going to be here."

10. Tracking shot of fire trucks lined up to help in the firefighting effort

11. Prisoners brought in to help fight the fires walking in a line under police supervision

12. Various of prisoners walking in line

13. Mid of fire vehicle

14. Wide "Butte College" sign, where a firefighting command post has been set up

15. Fire fighter walking into temporary bathroom

16. Wide of tents set up for firefighters to sleep in

STORYLINE:

Firefighters on Friday were battling several wildfires across Northern California, with one wind-whipped blaze in Butte County destroying at least 20 homes and forcing thousands of residents to flee.

Authorities in Butte County closed all roads to Paradise, a town of about 30-thousand residents some 90 miles north of Sacramento, and ordered nine-thousand residents to leave their homes.

An evacuation shelter was set up in nearby Chico.

A woman, whose identity was not immediately released, suffered a heart attack during the evacuation and died, said Ruben Grijalva, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

It's the only fatality associated with Northern California fires this month.

The fire, which started on Wednesday, had grown to more than 20-thousand acres and threatened 4,600 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Twenty homes were confirmed to be destroyed, but officials said that number likely could double once crews were able to better assess the damage.

More than 1,500 firefighters were trying to contain the blaze, which was only 16 percent contained by Friday morning.

Fed by strong, erratic winds on Thursday, the fire spread to the hills of the Butte College campus, where officials had set up an incident command centre, said Cal Fire spokesman Joshpae White.

Firefighters, however, needed to move quickly.

Winds from the southwest were expected to pick up in the afternoon, which could push the flames closer to Paradise, said White, who was one of the firefighters injured a day earlier.

In recent days, hot temperatures, steady winds and tinder-dry vegetation have fuelled a series of destructive blazes from Butte County to the San Francisco Bay area to the Los Padres National Forest.

But 900 firefighters in Santa Cruz County caught a break Friday as cooler temperatures and increased cloud cover helped them battled a wildfire that had destroyed at least 10 homes in the Bonny Doon community, according to Cal Fire.

It was 25 percent contained on Friday morning and had scorched 600 acres.

More than 1,500 residents have been told to evacuate their homes in the heavily forested hills about 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz since the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon.

California State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Santa Cruz County early on Thursday to free up additional firefighting resources.

He declared one in Butte County late on Wednesday.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus035966

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus035966

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

AP TELEVISION

Clearlake, California – August 5, 2015

1. Various of fire trucks, smoldering trees, burnt earth

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

++SOUNDBITE COVERED BY PREVIOUS SHOT++

"A lot of fire deep seeded that's just smoldering on the ground so what happens during the day, especially when the winds come up is those fires will start getting bigger and then we'll start seeing flames and the last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us."

3 . Firefighters climbing hill

4 . SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED BY PREVIOUS SHOT++

"We expect the temperatures to go up and we expect the humidity to decrease substantially and that should dry out some of our vegetation fuel beds so I expect to see a little bit of increase in activity today."

5. Various of fire trucks, firefighters

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

++SOUNDBITE COVERED BY PREVIOUS SHOT++

"If we have another good day, I expect to see some (containment) numbers increase and I definitely expect to see some numbers increase if we're able to hold those containment lines with the winds that we're expecting today."

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped thousands of firefighters battling an unruly Northern California wildfire, but officials worried that strong afternoon winds and hotter temperatures Wednesday could reignite portions of the blaze.

Firefighting officials said crews made progress with some help from light rain Tuesday, getting the fire less than a quarter contained. The blaze has charred 106 square miles, and isn't expected to be largely contained until at least Monday.

Much of the fire Wednesday morning was smoldering on the ground as firefighters positioned themselves around its perimeter in anticipation of possible flare-ups Wednesday afternoon while they continued to build containment lines aimed at corralling the blaze.

Fire spokesman Steve Kaufmann said the winds Wednesday afternoon would likely fuel the fire burning on the ground, spreading flames by carrying embers

"The last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us," he said.

More than 3,000 firefighters are battling the smoky blaze.

The fire is burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco along rugged, parched terrain in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Since it started last Wednesday, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites.

Teams on Tuesday were able to build a buffer between the flames and some of the estimated 6,900 homes it threatens. Despite the fire's growth, no additional homes were consumed outside the two dozen already destroyed.

The fire is by far the largest of 11 burning in Northern California.

AP TELEVISION

Clearlake, California – August 5, 2015

1. Various of fire trucks, smoldering trees, burnt earth

2. Various of fire trucks, staging area

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

"We expect the temperatures to go up and we expect the humidity to decrease substantially and that should dry out some of our vegetation fuel beds so I expect to see a little bit of increase in activity today."

4. Various of burned area, smoldering trees

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

"If we have another good day, I expect to see some (containment) numbers increase and I definitely expect to see some numbers increase if we're able to hold those containment lines with the winds that we're expecting today."

6. Various of fire trucks, firefighters hiking up steep hillside to work on containment line.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, captain, public information officer, Ventura County Fire Department:

"A lot of fire deep seeded that's just smoldering on the ground so what happens during the day, especially when the winds come up is those fires will start getting bigger and then we'll start seeing flames and the last few days expect for yesterday, we would see little spot fires grow out of those ones because the winds would carry the embers, so we'll definitely have to see what today brings us."

8. Fire truck

SHOTLIST:

1. Tilt-down from mountain obscured by smoke to remains of burned out house

2. Mid of remains of burned out house

3. Close-up of small fire still burning amid remains of house

4. Wide of burning rubble with still intact plant in foreground

5. Close-up of fire still burning

6. Mid of fire trucks on scene

7. Mid of fireman hosing fire, pan right to rubble

8. Wide of firemen walking past burnt out car

9. Various of burned out car

10. Pan left of firemen putting out rest of fire in burned out house

11. Mid of fireman hosing fire

12. Set-up of Malibu homeowner Glen Sunyich pointing to what's left of house

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Glen Sunyich, Malibu homeowner:

"In one way I was kind of flipped for it, laughs, if you can be but I honestly I thought the house was safe. I did not think we would lose it... Like that."

14. Various of fireman using hose through window

15. Mid of two firemen putting fire out

16. Mid of man on mobile phone at gas station, pan right to Malibu resident Beverly Taki on mobile phone

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Beverly Taki, Malibu resident:

"About 5:00 am (1300 GMT) when I saw red flames, I went down, I got my computer and the minute I got my computer the electricity went off and then the police were coming around about 5:00 am (1300 GMT) - 5:15 (1315 GMT) and I left by 5:30 (1330 GMT)."

18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Leo Cullum, Malibu resident:

"Well, we don't know at this point. My phone rings at home and goes to the answering machine if that's any sign. I don't know if it is or not. But we're just waiting and watching. Hoping for the best."

19. Wide of fireman talking with reporters

20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dennis Cross, Los Angeles County Fireman:

"Ten engine strike teams, fifteen crew strike teams, aircraft. That stuff was positioned, pre-positioned close by so when this fire broke out it was able to get here in a timely manner. Unfortunately, a wind driven fire - it doesn't matter the amount of resources in the area or on the ground. This fire, the winds are going to blow it down canyon and it's going to follow the path of the land until the wind's subside and we can get in there and get a handle on it."

21. Pan right of burned out home

22. Mid of burned out home

23. Various of burning material

STORYLINE:

A fast-moving wildfire pushed by Santa Ana winds raced through the canyons and mountains of this wealthy Southern California enclave for the second time in little more than a month on Saturday, destroying more than 30 homes and forcing as many as 14,000 residents to flee, officials said.

The fire erupted shortly before 3:30 a.m. (1130 GMT) after the long-predicted Santa Anas finally returned, and it quickly grew before the winds died down.

By mid-afternoon it was estimated at 4,500 acres (1,821 hectares), with 25 percent containment.

An estimated 35 homes were destroyed, and 10,000 to 14,000 people evacuated, Los Angeles County Fire officials said.

"I honestly I thought the house was safe. I did not think we would lose it... Like that," said Glen Sunyich, a Malibu homeowner whose house was destroyed.

Beverly Taki, another Malibu resident, said she escaped after seeing red flames and managing to save her computer.

"About 5:00 am (1300 GMT) when I saw red flames, I went down, I got my computer and the minute I got my computer the electricity went off and then the police were coming around about 5:00 am (1300 GMT) - 5:15 (1315 GMT) and I left by 5:30 (1330 GMT)," she said.

Fifteen helicopters and 15 airplanes, including a retardant-dropping DC-10 jumbo jet, attacked from the air while 1,700 firemen battled flames on the ground.

One fireman suffered an unspecified moderate injury, and five others suffered minor injuries.

Helicopters lowered hoses into pools and the nearby Pacific to refill their tanks for water-dropping runs, and SuperScooper amphibious airplanes skimmed the ocean to reload.

Hundreds of firefighters and equipment from throughout the state had been positioned in Southern California for most of the week because of the predicted winds, which had been expected to blow most of the week but did not arrive until late on Friday.

"Ten engine strike teams, fifteen crew strike teams, aircraft. That stuff was positioned, pre-positioned close by so when this fire broke out it was able to get here in a timely manner," Los Angeles County Fireman Dennis Cross told reporters.

Officials remained wary despite the decrease in wind speeds.

SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION

La Crescenta, California - 1 September 2009

1. Wide shot of flames on hillside just above houses

2. Close up of flames

3. Medium shot of houses approaching homes

4. Medium shot of flames just above house

5. Wide shot of firefighters in nearby neighbourhood

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Richard Peterson, Santa Clara Fire Department:

"There is just a big fire, and there is a lot of other areas that are going to suffer. The weather patterns from what we are hearing for this afternoon are going to be pretty intense and I wouldexpect that there will be a lot more trouble especially on the areas where the winds are pushing it."

AP TELEVISION

Acton, California - 1 September 2009

7. Various shots of helicopter coming in to load up water bucket

8. Close up of water bucket being filled

9. Wide shot of helicopter taking water filled bucket

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles County, California - 1 September 2009

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Steve Wintmore, LA County Sheriff's Department Spokesperson:

"Right now about 4300 - in the Sheriff's department we have evacuated homes, about 4300. LAPD is about 2,000 so that is 6300 evacuations and the people that are not leaving what we are doing, is we are jotting down their names and their addresses, so we can notify the next of kin - if we need to."

11. Wide shot of fire and heavy smoke on hillside

12. Medium shot of firefighter watching approaching fire

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jose Rodriguez, Los Angeles Fire Department:

"I am not really concerned about the fire coming this way, we have a lot of fire engines, we have the best firefighters in the world in Southern California, so I'm not concerned. I'm a little bit worried but we will be okay."

14. Wide shot of helicopter coming in to fill up water

15. Close up of helicopter hovered over water

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Scott Visyak, California Fire Captain:

"Acreage is about 122,000 acres, we are still at about 5 percent containment. We've got confirmation of about 53 structures destroyed, that is what we can access for right now, I know that number is probably going to jump a little bit."

ABC - NO ACCESS NORTH AMERICA / INTERNET

Los Angeles County, California - 1 September 2009

++MUTE++

17. Various aerial shots of heavy smoke and fire approaching nearby observatory

STORYLINE:

Firefighters reported some progress Tuesday against a gigantic blaze on the edge of Los Angeles, but warned that this one might be just a preview of even greater dangers ahead.

The peak Southern California fire season hasn't even started yet.

The worst fires typically flare up in the autumn, when ferocious Santa Ana winds can drive fires out of wilderness areas and into suburbs.

As a result, Southern California could be in for a long wildfire season.

The Santa Anas are so devastating when they carry fire because they sweep down from the north and reach withering speeds as they squeeze through wilderness canyons and passes and plunge into developed areas.

Even though winds have been mostly calm since the blaze began along the northern fringe of Los Angeles and its suburbs, the flames have spread over 190 square miles (492 square kilometres) of forest in a week.

Some 12,000 homes remained threatened as 3,600 firefighters and aircraft battled the blaze across a 50-mile (80-kilometre) line.

Thousands of people have been evacuated and the names and addresses taken of those who refuse to leave their homes.

"That is 6300 evacuations and the people that are not leaving what we are doing, is we are jotting down their names and their addresses, so we can notify the next of kin - if we need to," said Steve Wintmore of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

But it was not the only significant blaze in Southern California.

The big fire, known as the Station Fire, was just 5 percent surrounded, but fire chiefs said that figure could double by the end of the day.

Weather was more humid, which helps brush resist burning, but the downside was a possibility of dry lightning. Some sprinkles were reported, but no significant rain.

Officials were worried about the threat to a historic observatory on Mount Wilson northeast of Los Angeles.

But on Tuesday, the flames near the facility appeared much tamer than the infernos that boiled up out of the mountain range in previous days.

Authorities could not immediately ascertain whether the fire at the top of Mount Wilson was the result of the overall advance of the blaze or backfires set by fire crews.

From a helicopter above the 5,700-foot (1,737-metre) peak, small flames could be seen creeping under trees.

Firefighters had doused the peak with flame retardant before withdrawing when the fire appeared to be too dangerous.

Mount Wilson is home not only to the observatory but numerous television, radio and cell phone antennas serving the metropolitan area.

The fire is one of hundreds of wildfires in a season that usually does not gather steam until October, when the Santa Ana winds arrive.

This year's destructive Southern California wildfires began in May, when 80 homes were destroyed and more than a dozen others were damaged in the Santa Barbara area. "

Wind has not been a problem in the current fire, but drought has.

The region is in the midst of a three-year drought, and the tinder-dry forest is ripe for an explosive fire.

SHOTLIST

1. Wideshot of town of Avalon showing harbour

2. Avalon houses overlooking harbour

3. Medium shot of ferry arriving

4. Wideshot of ferry docking

5. Close-up of ferry

6. Wideshot of passengers disembarking

7. Passengers walking up gangway

8. Medium shot of passengers leaving ferry

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bruce Wright, resident

"I haven't slept in a couple of days. I'm a little worried. I'm one of the highest buildings on the hill so if the fire got anybody it got me pretty good, so I'm a little worried."

10. Close up of sign (English): 'Thank you firefighters'.

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bruce Wright, resident

"I've just, thank God they (firefighters) were here, an amazing group of people. I think they saved the city because when I left Thursday night the flames were rolling down the hillside as fast as could be. It was extremely scary."

12. Wideshot of residents leaving ferry returning to Avalon.

STORYLINE:

Residents have begun returning to a town on an island off the southern California coast in the US after firefighters and favourable weather halted a wildfire's advance onto the island's most populated area.

Nearly four thousand evacuated residents in Avalon on Catalina Island began heading back to inspect their homes and apartments and reopen businesses that largely cater to tourists.

Ferry's arrived from Long Beach with weary residents, some who had hardly slept in days, anxious to see that all is well.

Avalon resident Bruce Wright who returned by ferry to Catalina on Saturday said he hadn't "slept in a couple of days" and that he was worried about his home, which is on one of the highest buildings on the hill.

Wright described Thursday's evacuation as "extremely scary".

The cause of the fire, which erupted on Thursday afternoon in the 76-square-mile island's rugged interior, had not yet been determined but there was no doubt in the resident's minds that the tireless efforts of the firefighters had saved their city.

The fire is at least 35 per cent contained and full containment was expected by Monday when visitors would be able to return to the island.

-

Tourists were barred from the island until at least Monday past the Mother's Day holiday weekend that had been expected to jump-start the summer season.

An average of one (m) million tourists a year spend 96 (m) million US dollars annually into the economy of the island, a vacation paradise with snorkelling, scuba diving, golf and hiking in an ecologically diverse terrain.

Environmentalists said it was too early to tell how the blaze affected the island's ecosystem, home to rare animal and plant life, including the Catalina Island fox.

But four bald eagle chicks that hatched earlier this year without human help were unharmed, said Bob Rhein, a spokesman for the Catalina Island Conservancy, which owns most of the island.

The birds are a milestone in the reintroduction of the species, which was wiped out on the island decades ago by chemical contamination.

Keyword-fire- wildfires

SHOTLIST:

Near San Diego, California - October 24, 2007

1. Aerial wide of helicopter

2. Mid of pilot inside helicopter

3. Aerial mountain and smoke (the Harris Fire)

4. Various of helicopter scooping up water to dump on the Harris Fire

5. Various of mountains and smoke

6. Wide of helicopter carrying water bucket

7. Wide of helicopter dropping water on Harris Fire

Coronado Naval Air Station, North Island, California - October 26, 2007

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paul Mattingly, crew commander, US Navy:

"Typically the crews are dropping a hundred or more buckets a day for aircraft - depends how close your water source is to the actual fire, in some cases you may drop closer to 200 a day."

9. Randolph Borges, a pilot of US Navy gets out of helicopter

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Randolph Borges, US Navy pilot:

"You got the main fire going but you've got to keep those flair-ups because within less then five minutes those little flair-ups can just turn absolutely huge, so you know we do our best to keep what we can and work it down. A lot of times it's the air that suppresses the fire and it's the ground guys that actually go in there and actually put the fire out."

Julian, California - October 26, 2007

11. Various of firefighters standing next to fire trucks

12. Close of map

13. Mid of firefighter looking at map

14. Wide of fire station

15. Various of empty town streets

16. Various of fire truck driving away

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Greg Griswold, Battalion Chief, Julian Fire Department:

"Now that we've got return west winds that are coming from the coast pushing us to the east, we have a bunch of equipment between Julian itself, and we've got a bunch of people working on the fire lines down on the river beds and the drainages. It's really rough country, it's very steep country, however we're making good progress."

Barrego Springs, California - October 26, 2007

18. Wide exterior of Barrego Springs high school, used as evacuation centre

19. Mid of evacuation centre sign

20. Evacuee Ashly Lynne Maxine leaving her tent

21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ashly Lynne Maxine Perkins, evacuee:

"We saw that the fire was coming down over the other side of the mountain and that's when we decided to pack up our stuff and get out because it was a little too close for comfort."

22. Various of people being served food and eating at evacuation centre

23. People on camp beds outside a tent

STORYLINE:

Fires continued to rage in parts of the US state of California on Friday, and Navy, Marine and California National Guard helicopters were busy dropping hundreds of huge buckets of water on the Harris Fire east of San Diego.

An AP Television cameraman was on board one of the helicopters as they tried to put out the fire.

The Harris Fire has burned 84- thousand acres (34- thousand hectares) and continued to spread slowly on Friday in a well-trekked area near Portrero, about 35 miles (55 kilometres) east of San Diego.

The Harris Fire has destroyed almost 100 homes, and authorities evacuated Jamul, an upmarket community of about 6-thousand in a hilly region about 20 miles east of San Diego.

Randolph Borges, a pilot on one of the helicopters, said the the little fires were just as dangerous as the big ones.

"You got the main fire going but you've got to keep those flair-ups because within less then five minutes those little flair-ups can just turn absolutely huge, so you know we do our best to keep what we can and work it down. A lot of times it's the air that suppresses the fire and it's the ground guys that actually go in there and actually put the fire out," he said.

Meanwhile, the Witch Fire, which already has destroyed more than 1-thousand homes, was making its way towards Julian.

Towns scattered throughout the county remained on the brink of disaster, including the apple-picking region around Julian.

The town of 3-thousand, nestled in the rolling hills of a popular apple-growing region, was under mandatory evacuation and is completely deserted.

Flames were about six miles away, and firefighters were concerned that winds coming from the west would accelerate the blaze uphill toward the town, where dozens of homes were destroyed four years ago.

Greg Griswold, Battalion Chief at Julian Fire Department, told AP Television "now that we've got return west winds that are coming from the coast pushing us to the east we have a bunch of equipment between Julian itself and we've got a bunch of people working on the fire lines down on the river beds and the drainages. It's really rough country, it's very steep country, however we're making good progress."

According to officials, the Witch Fire is about 309 square miles in northern San Diego County from Witch Creek to Rancho Santa Fe. It is 30 percent contained, and has destroyed 1,061 homes, 30 commercial properties, 175 outbuildings and 230 cars. About 1,100 homes and businesses are threatened as it continues to spread.

Meanwhile, evacuees were bedding down in nearby Barrego Springs after being evacuated from their homes.

Friday's flare-ups underscored the continuing threat posed by the wildfires, even as crews are making rapid progress towards containing it.

In all, fires have raced across 490- thousand acres or 765 square miles.

They were fanned early in the week by Santa Ana winds that produced gusts topping 100 kilometres per hour.

Of the 1,800 homes lost so far, 80 percent were in San Diego County.

The property damage there alone has surpassed 1 (b) billion US dollars.

SHOTLIST:

Santa Barbara, California - 7 May 2009

1. Wide shot helicopter flying

2. Mid shot helicopter, pull to wide shot

3. Wide of firefighter hosing down interior of burned house

4. Mid of firefighter hosing down exterior of burned house

5. Firefighter hosing down burned house, pan left

6. Fire engine next to house

7. Firefighters carrying hose

8. Firefighter attaching hose to spout, pull out

9. Aerial shot of fire raging, zoom in

10. Mid of flames

11. Mid shot helicopter spraying water on fire

12. Mid shot of flames, pull out

Goleta, California - 7 May 2009

13. Evacuees waiting in food serving line, pan right

14. Evacuees in serving line

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Kate Smith, Evacuee:

"This afternoon I discovered that they set up computers so that we can check our E-mail and write to our friends, I've got friends around the state that are calling 'cause they know that I'm in the fire area. And then this afternoon they were coming around with popsicles and strawberries and yoghurt, and I had a nurse check me out, because I don't have my meds."

16. Various of evacuees eating

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Pat Burkard, Red Cross Volunteer:

"I'm a volunteer with the Red Cross, I'm in health services, I'm a registered nurse, and yesterday after about 12 hours I had to leave to go home to be evacuated. At first it was an evacuation warning, and then I got the message that it was a mandatory evacuation, so I went home, loaded up my car with a few things and then came back to work."

18. Pan of beds at evacuation centre

STORYLINE:

Strong winds were pushing a fierce wildfire above the California coastal city of Santa Barbara closer to populated areas and forced thousands more to flee their homes.

The fire's increased strength prompted officials to expand mandatory evacuation orders late on Thursday to encompass about 6-thousand additional people, Santa Barbara's County Sheriff said.

That brings the total number of evacuated residents to about 18-thousand.

The blaze was approaching homes in the city's more populated, flat area which lies below the steep canyons.

Santa Barbara city fire spokesman Gary Pitney said flames had jumped Foothill Road, which divides the hilly terrain from the flatlands below, and ignited spot fires in brush surrounding houses.

Pitney said the fire also pushed west across state Route 134, the key thoroughfare between Santa Barbara and wine country to the north.

Officials opened a second evacuation shelter at the Recreation Center on the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara to accommodate 900 additional evacuees.

All 190 beds were filled at the first shelter at a nearby high school in Goleta.

Officials say firefighters are facing extreme conditions with the fire burning in an area of heavy fuel and inaccessible terrain.

The seasonal wildfires that menace Santa Barbara roared to life earlier in the year than usual but with all-too-familiar ferocity, damaging or destroying 75 homes and forcing residents to flee.

The fire was just the latest to ravage the area known as the American Riviera, home to screen stars, former presidents and Oprah Winfrey.

By the end of Thursday, state officials said the fire grew from 1,300 acres (526 hectares) to 2,739 acres (1108 hectares) - roughly four square miles (6.4 square kilometres).

Firefighters were on alert for a predicted return of a "Sundowner" - fierce winds that late in the day can sweep down from the Santa Ynez Mountains towering close behind Santa Barbara.

The wind did kick up, but it blew from the ocean pushing the fire up into the mountains and away from homes.

The benignly named Jesusita Fire was a slumbering day-old brush fire on rugged slopes above the city when a Sundowner hit at midafternoon Wednesday, hurling towering flames into homes and spitting embers into more distant neighbourhoods.

Some 4,715 homes remained evacuated, and another 12-thousand people in 5,200 homes were advised to be ready to leave, according to city and county estimates.

About 2,300 firefighters from many departments were on the lines, aided by aircraft. The fire was just 10 percent contained.

Authorities reported 10 firefighters injured, including three who sheltered in a house during a firestorm. They were in good condition at a Los Angeles burn centre but two faced surgery.

Other injuries ranged from smoke inhalation to ankle sprains.

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot of home owned by Richard Martin

2. Sprinkler system spraying water onto the roof

3. Door into Martin's "bunker" opens and Richard Martin walks out

4. Close up of water bottle and chairs

5. Close up of supplies

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Martin, Santa Barbara resident who refused to evacuate:

"It has a two-hour fire door on it, meaning that if there is a fire right outside that door, it's good for two hours and it's well weather-proofed, so no smoke gets in around the door and when you are in that bunker and a firestorm is outside, you don't even know there's a fire."

7. Close up of mask and bandana

8. Gloves, and mask

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Martin, Santa Barbara resident who refused to evacuate:

"If we had not had the bunker, we would not have even have considered staying."

10. Pan from hillside to house with sprinklers in operation, Martin walking

11. Close up of Martin

12. Various of ash and burned brush

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Richard Martin, Santa Barbara resident who refused to evacuate:

"It's been a very useful room. It's made so that we just come out of our bedroom door and on the same deck and right there is the door to the storeroom and we're in and out of there getting, when we need to get access to some of these documents so it's useful storage space. That's most of the time."

14. Martin walking near his house

STORYLINE:

While the vast majority of fire-threatened residents in Santa Barbara, California, fled the flames that destroyed 31 homes and damaged 47 others, one man stayed in what he called his "bunker".

Richard Martin, 73, built the five (1.5 metres) by seven feet (0.9 metres) room just in case the fire got to his house.

According to local California reports, Martin was ordered to evacuate with his wife, something he declined to do.

Martin told the Associated Press that his "bunker" had a fire door which could withstand flames for two hours.

"It's good for two hours and it's well weather-proofed, so no smoke gets in around the door and when you are in that bunker and a firestorm is outside, you don't even know there's a fire," he said.

He also has multiple sprinklers on his house.

"If we had not had the bunker, we would not have even have considered staying," he said.

A blanket of damp ocean mist shrouded the coast on Sunday morning, giving firefighters the break they needed to begin beating back the wildfire that destroyed dozens of structures and chased thousands of people from their homes.

As firefighters contained more than half the blaze, they announced that all but about 350 people would be allowed to return home.

But at the same time, they warned residents to remain alert and be ready to evacuate again if the weather conditions that drove the fire down on their neighbourhoods returned.

SHOTLIST

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Various of houses and vehicles on fire

2. Various of firemen on the scene, dousing fires

3. Various of houses on fire

4. Set-up of San Bruno Fire Chief, Dennis Haag, surrounded by media

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Haag, San Bruno Fire Chief:

"It looked like a broken gas line - high pressure gas line - none of this can be confirmed, we still need to get to the scene of the origin of the fire. We've got 53 homes have been severely damaged, up to 120 homes have some fire damage. We have only one firm fatality, confirmed fatality, it's going to take us until at least tomorrow into the afternoon to do a full search."

6. Wide of evacuated residents at Red Cross shelter

7. People drinking water

8. Various of houses on fire

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paul Foster, Evacuated San Bruno resident:

"The fire crews were just beginning to arrive, and probably for about a block and a half away, I could see a humongous orange fireball that appeared to be coming out of the middle of the street."

10. Fire fighters battling fire

11. Cars on fire

12. Pan of fire engines

13. Various of smoke and flames around home

14. Helicopter dropping water on fire

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bennett Bibel, San Bruno resident:

"I got a phone call and said they were huge flames in San Bruno, I drove, went up the Bay Hill shopping centre, saw huge flames shooting in the air, walked up from there. This is far as I can get and it's pure speculation on my part as to whether or not the home is burnt, can't get any information from anybody."

16. Wide shot of flames ++NIGHT SHOT++

STORYLINE:

A huge explosion sent flames roaring through a neighbourhood in the hills south of San Francisco on Thursday, destroying more than 50 homes and leaving at least one person dead.

The utility company that serves the San Francisco Bay area said one of its gas lines ruptured in the vicinity of the blast, which left a giant crater and sent flames tearing across several suburban blocks in San Bruno.

"If it is ultimately determined that we were responsible for the cause of the incident, we will take accountability," Pacific Gas and Electric Company said in an e-mailed statement.

Victims with serious burns began arriving at San Francisco Bay area hospitals shortly after the blast.

An estimate of the number of injured wasn't immediately available.

Hospitals reported receiving about 20 injured patients - several of whom were in critical condition - and they anticipated getting more.

Flames incinerated 53 homes and damaged 120 as crews continued battling the blaze into the night.

At least one person was confirmed dead in the blast, according to the San Bruno Fire Chief.

The fire had spread to 10 acres (four hectares) and was 50 percent contained late on Thursday, according to a spokesman for the California

Emergency Management Agency.

Between 150 and 200 firefighters were at the scene, the spokesman said.

More than 100 people were being sheltered at nearby evacuation centres, but no estimate of the number of residents missing was available, he said.

Witnesses said the explosion shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) in the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety and

rushing to get belongings out of burning homes.

"Well when I first heard the explosion it was huge," said Neil Wild, who is a local firefighter.

After the blast, flames reached as high as 100 feet (30 meters) as the fire fuelled itself on burning homes.

Planes and helicopters flew over the neighbourhood dumping water.

The San Bruno Fire Captain said the neighbourhood was engulfed by the time firefighters arrived, even though the fire station was only a few

blocks away.

He said the blast took out the entire water system, forcing firefighters to pump water from more than two miles (three kilometres) away.

The captain said firefighters initially had trouble getting close enough to the ruptured gas line to shut it down because of the flames.