Wildfire Sweeps Through California Near Oprah Winfrey's Home

A wildfire has destroyed more than 100 homes and injured 13 people in the Mediterranean-style coastal town of Montecito, California, which is home to celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey.

Firefighters struggled to get control of the raging fire, and said they had to work fast before the winds picked up. Evening winds known locally as "sundowners," gusting up to 70 mph from land to sea, pushed the fire with frightening speed Thursday, chewing up mansions, exploding eucalyptus trees and turning rolling hills into a glowing nightmare, The Associated Press is reporting.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County on Friday as residents waited anxiously for word of their homes. Many of them fled flames with just a few minutes' notice.

"We're going to have a very, very tough day today for firefighting and when the winds kick up this afternoon, we're going to have an incredibly challenging situation," said Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Ron Prince. "Control of this fire is not even in sight."
Authorities say the fire broke out just before 6 p.m. Thursday and spread to about 2,500 acres — nearly 4 square miles — by early Friday. It destroyed dozens of luxury homes and parts of a college campus in the tiny community of Montecito and an unknown number of homes in neighboring Santa Barbara. The cause was not immediately known. There was no estimate for containment for the fire, which more than 500 firefighters were battling.

The fire temporarily knocked out power to more than 20,000 homes in Santa Barbara, a city of about 90,000.

About 300 Westmont students fled to a gym where they spent the night sleeping on cots. Some stood in groups praying, others sobbed openly and comforted each other.

Montecito, a quiet enclave known for its balmy climate and charming Spanish colonial homes, has long attracted celebrities. Oprah Winfrey and Rob Lowe are among the homeowners there, though their homes had not been destroyed and neither was in the area Thursday night, their publicists told the AP.