In pictures: Los Angeles wildfires

A series of fires around Los Angeles has destroyed hundreds of homes and burnt through thousands of acres of forest and brush land over the last few days.

The latest fire broke out on Saturday in Yorba Linda, part of Orange County, just south of Los Angeles. More than 12,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes in the area.

The fires broke out in tinder-dry forested areas and quickly jumped into tracts of suburban housing, fanned by fierce Santa Ana winds.

Firefighters have called in helicopters and planes to drop water and fire retardant on the flames to try to stop the fires from spreading further in residential areas.

Clouds of smoke from the fires can be seen across the Los Angeles area.

California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared states of emergency in three counties, freeing up state resources to help local forces fight the fires.

The most destructive of the fires has been in Sylmar, in the north of Los Angeles. The fire raced through a mobile home park, destroying hundreds of homes.

The Sylmar fire broke out after another fire in the wealthy enclave of Montecito, about 80 miles (130km) to the west, had been burning since Thursday.

About 200 homes, many of them multi-million dollar mansions, have been destroyed in Montecito and neighbouring Santa Barbara.