Thousands flee as fire burns homes in Calif. city

SANTA BARBARA
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department spokesman Drew Sugars said 5,430 homes were under mandatory evacuation. The estimated population of those homes was 13,575 people, he said. Another 13,000 were warned they may need to evacuate.

A wildfire that burned at least a dozen homes quieted at dawn Thursday, but it was still out of control, thousands of people remained out of their homes and another round of howling winds was expected later in the day.

More fire crews were called in from around the state to battle the blaze that had swelled to 500 acres and forced the evacuation of more than 13,000 people in this scenic coastal city.

At least a dozen homes, some of them mansions, were reduced to rubble but authorities had no precise figure. The flames hopscotched across the canyon homes, burning some while sparing.

Two of the firefighters suffered second- to third-degree burns and could receive skin grafts on Fridaythers.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency, and the National Weather Service issued a "Red Flag" warning for fire danger through Friday morning.