California: Fierce fires destroy multi

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A destroyed house in Laguna Niguel (California)

Photo Credit: IMAGO/Ruaridh Stewart / IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

A fire has destroyed several houses in the south of the US state of California, including some villas worth millions, according to media reports.

Authorities said the bushfire broke out at a water treatment plant near the towns of Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach in Orange County.

Fanned by strong Pacific winds, the flames spread quickly.

By the evening, the so-called Coastal Fire had destroyed around 20 homes, said Orange County Fire Department chief Brian Fennessy.

Nothing was initially known about the possible cause.

Sea view villas burned down

"The vegetation is so dry that it's easy for the fire to spread very quickly," he said.

According to media reports, hundreds of residents had to leave their homes and get to safety.

So far, however, no one has been injured.

The fire brigade was on duty throughout the night.

At least five multi-million dollar ocean-view villas burned down, according to CBS News-owned broadcaster KCAL, which showed aerial footage.

Among them is a 900 square meter property that has just been for sale for an estimated ten million dollars (around 9.5 million euros).

The southwestern United States has been suffering from several forest fires for weeks, which the authorities say are favored by the persistent drought.

The state of New Mexico is currently the worst affected.

Just last year, one of the largest fires in the history of the US state raged in California between July and October.

The Dixie Fire had destroyed nearly 3900 square kilometers of land and more than 1300 buildings.

Thousands of rescue workers fought at times against the huge flames, investigators found that a power line that had come into contact with a tree ignited the fire.

bam/dpa