The blazes bedevilled firefighters as walls of flame whipped from mountain passes to the edges of the state’s celebrated coastline, spreading so quickly that even hotels serving as temporary shelters for evacuees had to be evacuated.

Wanda Tomkinson, 79, fled the Doubletree hotel in Del Mar with her husband and their Boston Terrier after employees called each room to tell customers they had to leave. The couple, carrying medication, clothes, tax records and a dog bowl, said they were relying on a family friend to take them in. If not, Tomkinson added, “the Lord will take care of us.”

With some 245,957 acres ablaze, President George Bush declared a federal emergency for seven Southern California counties, a move that will speed disaster-relief efforts.
The wildfires claimed one life and injured 42. At least 16 of the injured were firefighters.

To get worse
Fire crews and fleeing residents described desperate conditions that were sure to get worse. Temperatures across Southern California were about 10 degrees above average and were expected to approach 100 degrees on Tuesday in Orange and San Diego counties.

“We are getting very strong northeast winds. They are very erratic, causing us to modify our procedures,” said Capt. Don Camp, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fires were exploding and shooting embers in all directions, preventing crews from forming traditional fire lines and limiting aerial bombardment, he said.

“Saving lives is our priority. Getting people out from in front of the fire — those have been our priorities,” he said.
Thousands of residents sought shelter at fairgrounds, schools and community centres. The largest gathering was at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, where evacuees anxiously watched the stadium’s television sets, hoping for a glimpse of their neighbourhood on the local news.

The only casualty
San Diego County was ablaze from its rural north to its border region with Mexico, where the wildfires that started on Sunday claimed their only fatality to date: Thomas Varshock, 52, of Tecate, a town on the US side of the border southeast of San Diego. His body was found on Sunday afternoon, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office said, although no other details were released.

At least 2,50,000 residents in San Diego County alone were ordered to evacuate. Public schools were closed.