SANTA BARBARA, California: Firefighters expected another day of heat, gusts and potential destruction yesterday as they battled a growing blaze descending on the scenic coastal city of Santa Barbara that forced more than 5,000 homes to evacuate.

TV news helicopters showed at least a dozen homes ablaze on Wednesday night as the fire swelled to 200 hectares, but authorities had no immediate estimate of how many houses had been destroyed. The hot, dry conditions resembled late summer more than the middle of spring.

Huge mansions and humble homes alike were reduced to rubble, leaving palm trees swaying over gutted ruins. Aerial footage showed five or more luxury homes burning along one crest-top road, and many flare-ups dotting the residential hills were apparently burning homes.