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A state of emergency has been declared by Californian Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It covers four California counties in response to the massive wildfires raging north of Los Angeles which have almost doubled in size overnight. The firs are threatening in access of 12,000 homes.

According to Gov. Schwarzenegger, there are eight fires currently burning in California. He says that the largest one is located in the foothills north of Los Angeles. This fire alone has scorched 347 square kilometres of brush and trees, and is reported to have destroyed at least 18 homes, threatening some 12,000 more.

The state of emergency has been declared for Los Angeles, Placer, Monterey and Mariposa counties.

Feeding on brush in steep canyons, the fire continues to expand through canyons that have not burned for at least 40 years, according to fire officials.

Dianne Cahir of the United States Forest Service says that the fire is burning everywhere but when it reaches these canyons that have not been burned in years, it takes off.

Among the facilities being threatened by the fire according to government officials are necessary communications centers including transmitters for more than 20 television stations for the County of Los Angeles and for the historic Mount Wilson Observatory.

Through an area stretching 32 kilometres or 18 miles, reaching from Pasadena to Acton, at least 12,000 homes are being threatened. These include ranches and multimillion-dollar estates. In the neighborhoods of Pasadena, Glendale and other smoke covered cities and towns lying north of Los Angeles are at least 6,600 homes where are under mandatory evacuation orders.

There have been 12 evacuation centers established at schools and at community centers throughout the area.
Around Angeles National Forest, already at least 18 homes have been destroyed by fire. Fire officials say that they are expecting the number to go up.

Beth Halaas, who lost her Big Tujunga Canyon home, says that her neighbors sent them photos of the many other homes that are lost. This is one of the many communities under mandatory evacuation.

According to Halaas, she believes that as many as 30 houses were lost.

The fires are also causing ash to rain down on downtown Los Angeles.

Officials say that as of late Sunday only about five per cent of the blaze had been contained.
The National Weather Service still has its red flag warning in effect which is used in the case of extreme fire conditions. This covers the mountains of Central and Southern California.

By Monday there were in access of 2,500 firefighters battling the flames. It is expected that fire crews will be employed to set backfires where the idea is to slow the fire's advance. Planes can be expected to continue in their efforts of dropping retardant in the area.
Capt. Mike Dietrich of the United States Forest Service warns that there is a possibility that the fire may double again during the next several days.

Sunday afternoon 2 firefighters were reported killed when their vehicle rolled off a mountainside. This was in the vicinity of Mt. Gleason in the Angeles National Forest, officials said.