Some residents narrowly escaped as fire swept through their homes

President Bush has declared a disaster area, a move that will free up federal funds to help those affected rebuild their homes.

The fires have caused major material damage, destroying more than 1,100 homes, threatening thousands of others and charring wide swathes of terrain.

At least six separate major fires are burning in California, from the Mexican border to the suburbs north of Los Angeles.

A state of emergency has been declared in the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura. Some estimates say insurance claims could reach $100bn.

You cannot breathe and your eyes get clogged Eyewitness Tony Murphy's account of the fires

Major highways in southern California have been blocked and some airlines have cancelled flights into the region.

And tens of thousands are without power after fires destroyed transmission lines and transformers.

Federal aid

At least one of the fires was believed to be the result of arson and another is said to have been lit as a distress signal by a lost hunter.

Click below to see a detailed map of the affected areas Enlarge Map

Residents of San Diego and San Bernardino counties have been warned to stay indoors to avoid "extremely unhealthy" air, to conserve water for fire crews and to keep roads clear for emergency crews.

Some residents narrowly escaped with their lives as fire swept through their homes.

"I was grabbing wet towels. Fire was at our feet. It was blazing over our heads and burning everywhere," said Lisza Pontes, 43, who fled a blaze in San Diego County.

Outgoing Governor Gray Davis has appealed for federal assistance.

Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, who visited a fire command centre in the Los Angeles district of Moorpark to meet firefighters, said he would raise the issue in Washington this week.

"I will be going to Washington to make sure that the federal money will become available as quickly as possible so that people can rebuild their homes and business," he said on Monday, on the eve of his first trip to the capital since his landslide election this month.

President George W Bush said: "This is a devastating fire and it's a dangerous fire and we're prepared to help in any way we can."