At least 10 fires were blazing throughout southern California with thousands of firefighters struggling to contain flames that have ripped through tinder-try hillsides and parkland following months of record-low rainfalls.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties to help battle the multiple wildfires, which have left one person dead, more than 20 people injured and at least 62,000 acres (25,000 hectares) devastated.

As well as firefighters on the ground, authorities bombarded the blazes from above using helicopters and airplanes to drop water and flame retardant.

Fire authorities admit they are struggling to control the fires and are grimly expecting the situation to worsen with powerful, hot desert winds expected to gust across the region.

On Sunday authorities ordered 36,000 residents of Ramona, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of San Diego, to evacuate as the flames approached the town, said a spokesman for the local sheriff's office.

Strong winds fed the flames which destroyed a church and other buildings, forcing thousands to evacuate, including entire neighborhoods in the exclusive seaside town of Malibu, west of Los Angeles.

Homes of director James Cameron and "Grease" movie star Olivia Newton-John were among those evacuated, celebrity site TMZ.com reported.

Thousands of students at Malibu's Pepperdine University were evacuated. Nearby, the Malibu Presbyterian Church and several private homes burned to the ground, and the coastal highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco was closed.

The blaze also destroyed much of the Malibu Castle, known as Castle Kashan, a hilltop landmark and put up for sale in March for 17 million dollars.

The causes of the different fires raging throughout the state were varied, with a fallen power line believed to be the cause of the blaze in Malibu while arson was blamed for a fire in Orange County that torched 4,000 acres.

"I'm sad to report this is an arson fire," said Orange County Fire Authority Chief Chip Prather.

One person was killed and four firefighters were seriously injured while trying to protect a home from fire in Potrero, 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of San Diego, the fire department said. Seventeen people were injured.

Early Monday the fire had ripped through 20,000 acres of brush and was threatening 1,500 structures as it raced to the Mexico border, a spokeswoman from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told AFP.

Officials warned the fires may continue for several days while the high winds keep up.

"This fire's been very erratic and it has moved rapidly when it has moved with the winds," Los Angeles county fire chief Michael Freeman told reporters.

Many parts of California, including Los Angeles, have experienced record low rainfalls this year, leaving hundreds of thousands of acres of countryside at the mercy of wildfires.

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