At least 70 multimillion-dollar mansions have been destroyed by a powerful wildfire that has surged into the wealthy enclave of Montecito, northwest of Los Angeles.
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The suburb, which is popular amongst billionaires and Hollywood actors, was in flames with more than 800 hectares engulfed.
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More than 1,000 firefighters are tackling the Montecito fire - dubbed the Tea Fire locally because it is rumoured to have started in the Tea Gardens in the hills above Santa Barbara and Montecito.
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Fires have also broken out in the exclusive suburb of Yorba Linda in Orange County.
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Yorba Linda, like Montecito, is home to some large properties.
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Firefighters fight flames in Granada Hills. Arnold Schwarzenneger has declared a state of emergency after the fires spread.
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The pool deck of one Montecito mansion burnt brightly as the flames spread through the suburb.
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Firefighters looked for hot spots as they desperately tried to stop the wildfires burning out of control in the hills of Montecito.
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Around 2,500 Montecito residents were forced to flee the flames after a mandatory evacuation order.
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Police were blocking unsafe roads and attempting to enforce the evacuation.
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A year ago, 30 wildfires burned during one week in Southern California, destroying some 2,000 homes and forcing a record 500,000 residents to evacuate.
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Barbara Pointer and her daughter Katie stand in front of the remains of their homes in Montecito.
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