WILDFIRES THREATEN HOMES OF RICH AND FAMOUS

▶ Governor blames climate change for blazes that have forced thousands, including Oprah Winfrey, to flee

Fast-moving wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of buildings in southern California were yesterday threatening the hillside enclaves of the rich and famous.

Celebrities – including actor Rob Lowe and talk show hosts Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres – took to Twitter as flames neared their homes in picturesque coastal communities. The fire is the fifth worst in the US state since 1932, with high winds, rugged terrain and dry conditions all contributing to difficult conditions for firefighters.

The fire, named Thomas, has destroyed more than 93,000 hectares and is the worst of six major fires in southern California in the past week.

The fires have forced about 200,000 people to leave their homes, and 90,000 homes and businesses have been left without power.

“Praying for my town. Fires closing in. Firefighters making brave stands. Could go either way. Packing to evacuate now,” Rob Lowe, who lives in a mansion in the wealthy enclave of Montecito near Santa Barbara, wrote on Twitter.

His home was threatened by a powerful flare-up on the western edge of Thomas that sent residents fleeing as the winds drove the flames through canyons to the coastal towns north-west of Los Angeles.

About 5,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in Montecito and neighbouring Carpinteria, with about 15,000 buildings under threat. Montecito is also home to Oprah Winfrey, who wrote on Twitter: “Peace be Still, is my prayer tonight. For all the fires raging through my community and beyond.” Officials handed out masks to residents who stayed behind in the town.

“Our house is under threat of being burnt,” talk show host Ellen DeGeneres tweeted on Sunday. “We just had to evacuate our pets. I’m praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters.”

Emmy Leikin, an Emmy-winning songwriter who was ordered to vacate her Montecito home at 9am on Sunday, said she fled with only her mobile phone, medication, glasses and a few apples.

Leikin, 74, said she did not know the condition of her home and belongings, but “none of that means anything when it is your safety”.

Despite the scale of destruction, only one death has been reported – a 70-year-old woman who died in a car accident on Wednesday as she attempted to flee the flames.

Southern California’s gusty Santa Ana winds have long contributed to some of the region’s worst wildfires. They blow from inland towards the Pacific Ocean, speeding up as they squeeze through mountain passes and canyons. Gusts of up to 64kph were expected yesterday, according to the national weather service.

Fires are not typical in Southern California at this time of year but can break out when dry vegetation and too little rain combine with the Santa Ana winds. Hardly any rain has fallen in the area over the past six months.

“This is the new normal,” Democratic governor Jerry Brown said on Saturday after surveying damage from the deadly Ventura fire.

The governor and experts said climate change was making wildfires a year-round threat.

Hardly any rain has fallen in the area over the past six months, making fires more likely to break out