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| Fire winds ease over California | Fire winds ease over California |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Weather forecasts have raised hopes of some respite from the wildfires raging out of control across southern California for the last four days. | Weather forecasts have raised hopes of some respite from the wildfires raging out of control across southern California for the last four days. |
| Forecasters say the Santa Ana winds, which fuelled the spread of the flames and had reached hurricane strength, are just starting to die out. | Forecasters say the Santa Ana winds, which fuelled the spread of the flames and had reached hurricane strength, are just starting to die out. |
| Fire crews exploited the fall to dump water on some of the most destructive blazes in the San Bernardino Mountains. | Fire crews exploited the fall to dump water on some of the most destructive blazes in the San Bernardino Mountains. |
| The fires have caused the evacuation of about 1m people, officials say. | The fires have caused the evacuation of about 1m people, officials say. |
| Among the worst affected areas is that around San Diego, where evacuation centres are struggling to provide shelter for more than 300,000 people. | Among the worst affected areas is that around San Diego, where evacuation centres are struggling to provide shelter for more than 300,000 people. |
| Satellite image shows the smoke from the California wildfires being blown out to seaEnlarge Image | Satellite image shows the smoke from the California wildfires being blown out to seaEnlarge Image |
| While the winds are weakening, firefighters still face a huge task as no rain is forecast. | While the winds are weakening, firefighters still face a huge task as no rain is forecast. |
| Three people have been killed and 20 injured. | |
| The fires have destroyed 1,596 homes and the material damage is estimated to have risen to more than $1bn. | The fires have destroyed 1,596 homes and the material damage is estimated to have risen to more than $1bn. |
| US President George W Bush is due to visit California on Thursday. He earlier declared seven counties in the state a major disaster area. | US President George W Bush is due to visit California on Thursday. He earlier declared seven counties in the state a major disaster area. |
| 'Taking it down' | 'Taking it down' |
| The fires have ravaged at least 674 sq miles (1,745 sq km) of land from Santa Barbara in the west down to the Mexican border. | The fires have ravaged at least 674 sq miles (1,745 sq km) of land from Santa Barbara in the west down to the Mexican border. |
| TACKLING THE FLAMES 8,000 firefighters - including a number of prison teams1,500 national guards50 helicopters55 firefighting planes Source: Office of Emergency Services A fireman's account of 'hell' Battling the inferno Readers' experiences | TACKLING THE FLAMES 8,000 firefighters - including a number of prison teams1,500 national guards50 helicopters55 firefighting planes Source: Office of Emergency Services A fireman's account of 'hell' Battling the inferno Readers' experiences |
| In some areas, wind speeds on Wednesday were down to 21-36 mph (34-58km/h), from highs of 100mph earlier in the week. | In some areas, wind speeds on Wednesday were down to 21-36 mph (34-58km/h), from highs of 100mph earlier in the week. |
| Helicopters and air tankers managed to drop 30 to 35 loads of water on two fires that have burned hundreds of homes in the San Bernardino Mountains, near Lake Arrowhead. | Helicopters and air tankers managed to drop 30 to 35 loads of water on two fires that have burned hundreds of homes in the San Bernardino Mountains, near Lake Arrowhead. |
| "They're taking it down considerably," Dennis Bouslaugh of the US Forest Service told the Associated Press news agency. | "They're taking it down considerably," Dennis Bouslaugh of the US Forest Service told the Associated Press news agency. |
| Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire Rescue Department, told the BBC that while the crisis was easing in urban San Diego, some rural areas were still under threat. | Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire Rescue Department, told the BBC that while the crisis was easing in urban San Diego, some rural areas were still under threat. |
| "The weather has turned a little more calm, there's no winds, the humidity is up, the temperatures are down a little bit in some areas," he told the BBC World Service. | "The weather has turned a little more calm, there's no winds, the humidity is up, the temperatures are down a little bit in some areas," he told the BBC World Service. |
| "However, in other areas... [the fires] keep spotting ahead of each other, and there's a number of fires that are burning now, and requiring evacuation, and there are homes that continue to burn, mostly in the outlying areas of San Diego, out in the more rural areas." | "However, in other areas... [the fires] keep spotting ahead of each other, and there's a number of fires that are burning now, and requiring evacuation, and there are homes that continue to burn, mostly in the outlying areas of San Diego, out in the more rural areas." |
| Katrina lessons | Katrina lessons |
| California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the "great co-ordination" and "immediate response" of federal, state and local government agencies to the fires. | California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the "great co-ordination" and "immediate response" of federal, state and local government agencies to the fires. |
| Detailed maps of the fires Paradise lost in California Are you affected? | Detailed maps of the fires Paradise lost in California Are you affected? |
| He also thanked President Bush for signing the disaster declaration, which will free federal funds to help governments, families and individuals recover from the devastation wrought by the blazes - at least 16 of which are still burning. | He also thanked President Bush for signing the disaster declaration, which will free federal funds to help governments, families and individuals recover from the devastation wrought by the blazes - at least 16 of which are still burning. |
| The head of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (Fema), David Paulison, said the government had learnt lessons from the Hurricane Katrina disaster on the Gulf Coast two years ago. | The head of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (Fema), David Paulison, said the government had learnt lessons from the Hurricane Katrina disaster on the Gulf Coast two years ago. |
| "What we see now that we did not see during Hurricane Katrina is a very good team effort from the local, the state and the federal government and across the federal agencies," Mr Paulison said. | "What we see now that we did not see during Hurricane Katrina is a very good team effort from the local, the state and the federal government and across the federal agencies," Mr Paulison said. |
| Have you been caught up in events? Are you in the area? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below. | Have you been caught up in events? Are you in the area? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below. |
| You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial + 44 (0) 7725 100 100. | You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial + 44 (0) 7725 100 100. |
| Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
| Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video | Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video |
| Name | Name |