Fast-Moving California Fire Forces Thousands from Homes (+Video)

The aggressive wildfire in Southern California seared its way through dry vegetation Friday and spread quickly, destroying more than a dozen homes as tens of thousands of residents were ordered to get out of its way, authorities said.

The blaze broke out Thursday evening in the San Fernando Valley and spread westward, burning its way into hilly subdivisions on the northern edge of Los Angeles as terrified residents grabbed what they could and ran. One man went into cardiac arrest and died, authorities said, AP reported.

The region has been on high alert as notoriously powerful Santa Ana winds brought dry desert air to a desiccated landscape that only needed a spark to erupt.

The Los Angeles fire broke out hours after flaming garbage in a trash truck sparked another blaze when the driver dumped his load to keep the rig from catching fire. But the dry grass quickly ignited and powerful winds blew the flames into a mobile park in Calimesa, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles. About three-quarters of the 110 homes were wiped out and one resident died, fire officials said.

The two fires burned as power was restored to most of the nearly 2 million residents in the northern part of the state who lost electricity after Pacific Gas & Electric Co. switched it off Wednesday to prevent a repeat of the past two years when its equipment sparked deadly, destructive wildfires during windy weather.

The Los Angeles fire erupted in the neighborhood of Sylmar in a giant plume of red glowing smoke that expanded rapidly and could be seen for miles. It spread westward at a rate of 800 acres (324 hectares) an hour into Granada Hills and Porter Ranch, where subdivisions crowd against the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains. About 100,000 people in over 20,000 homes were ordered to evacuate, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said.

By Friday, the fire had grown to more than 11 square miles (29 sq. kilometers) and at least 31 homes were damaged, Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said. A middle-aged man who was near the fire went into cardiac arrest and died, the chief said, but he did not have details.

Flames roared through dense chaparral on steep hillsides and thick smoke blanketed parts of the valley. Some areas were sunny with blue skies and others were obscured in a gray haze. The air quality was so poor in some places that shoppers in Canoga Park wore breathing masks.

Schools and colleges closed for the day and Interstate 5, the main north-to-south corridor in the state, was shut down at the northern end of Los Angeles. Several sections of nearby freeways were also closed for much of the day.