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A wildfire threatening thousands of homes in Southern California is straining resources as crews struggled to contain hundreds of other blazes around the state.
"The firefighters are stretched thin, they are exhausted," and some have gone days without sleep, said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who visited a command post yesterday in Santa Barbara County.
A slew of wildfires, most ignited by lightning two weeks ago, has burned more than 2000 sq km of land throughout California.
The blazes have destroyed at least 69 homes and other buildings and contributed to the death of a firefighter who suffered a heart attack while digging fire lines.
About 1400 fires have been contained, but more than 330 still burned out of control. The top priority was Santa Barbara County, where nearly 2700 homes were threatened by a fire in the Los Padres National Forest that has consumed 34 sq km.
