A Day of Wildfire

Wednesday’s disastrous blazes were just the latest chapter in Southern California’s ageless cycle of wind and fire. The combination is deadly: gusty Santa Anas, searingly low humidity and a buildup of brush that resulted from last winter’s soaking rains. Any spark--a downed power line or an arsonist’s match--can quickly become a conflagration covering hundreds or thousands of acres. Here is roundup of the wildfires blazing across the region’s hills and canyons.

Wildfires riding fierce Santa Ana winds destroyed or damaged at least 450 homes and other structures in more than a dozen blazes in Southern California, charred around 70,000 acres and forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Twenty-three firefighters and eight residents were injured. Four of the firefighters were seriously injured. Here is a look at the biggest fires. Fires also broke out in Ojai and in Tecate near the Mexican border.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Altadena / Sierra Madre

* Location: San Gabriel foothills above Pasadena and Altadena

* Acres: 5,000

* Damage: more than 115 homes destroyed

* Injuries: nine firefighters with minor injuries.

* Status: still burning

* Evacuations: more than 2,000 residents from 500 homes, 50 residents from convalescent homes and 125 patients from St. Luke’s Medical Center

* Shelters: Eliot Middle School, 2184 N. Lake Ave., Altadena, Wilson Middle School, 300 S. Madre St., Pasadena; John Muir High School, 1905 N. Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, Jackie Robinson Park, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena

* Cause: suspicious, a suspect arrested

* Firefighters: 1,000 and another 1,000 ordered by U.S. Forest Service

Chatsworth

* Location: south of Simi Valley Freeway at Los Angeles County-Ventura County line

* Acres: 1,500

* Damage: none reported

* Injuries: four firefighters burned, one critically

* Status: partly contained

* Evacuations: 400 residents, mostly from Box Canyon

* Shelters: Simi Valley High School, 5800 Cochran St., Simi Valley

* Cause: under investigation

* Firefighters: 700

ORANGE COUNTY

Laguna

* Location: Irvine to Laguna Beach, including Emerald Bay

* Acres: 8,000

* Damage: at least 300 homes destroyed

* Injuries: none reported

* Status: still burning

* Evacuations: all residents of Laguna Beach

* Shelters: Corona del Mar High School, 2101 E. Bluff Drive, Newport Beach

* Cause: arson is suspected

* Firefighters: 300

Villa Park/Anaheim Hills

* Location: Anaheim Hills and Orange

* Acres: 750

* Damage: 31 homes damaged

* Injuries: one resident and one firefighter, minor injuries

* Status: largely contained

* Evacuations: 150 residents voluntarily left Crest de Ville neighborhood

* Shelters: none

* Cause: possible arson

* Firefighters: 350

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

Winchester

* Location: southwest of Hemet

* Acres: 21,350

* Damage: 29 homes destroyed, plus two bird farms

* Injuries: two firefighters and four residents, minor injuries

* Status: partly contained

Box Springs

* Location: between Moreno Valley and Riverside, north of Highway 60

* Acres: 1,000

* Damage: no damage

* Injuries: none reported

* Status: partly contained

Cahuilla

* Location: Cahuilla Indian Reservation near Anza

* Acres: 2,500

* Damage: none

* Injuries: none reported

* Status: partly contained

Temecula

* Location: near Highway 79

* Acres: 125

* Damage: none reported

* Injuries: none reported

* Status: still burning

Ortega

* Location: near Ortega Highway, 20 miles east of I-5

* Acres: 5,000

* Damage: 10 structures destroyed, including six houses

* Injuries: none reported

* Status: still burning

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

Yucaipa

* Location: north Yucaipa

* Acres: 2,700

* Damage: fives homes destroyed

* Injuries: none reported

* Status: partly contained

* Evacuations: Students at Crafton Hills College and Yucaipa High School plus parts of Crafton Hills and Mentone

* Shelters: Salvation Army, 838 Alta St., Redlands

* Cause: downed power line

* Firefighters: 200 plus

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

Escondido

* Location: north San Diego County

* Acres: 6,000

* Damage: five homes destroyed

* Injuries: One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion

* Status: partly contained

* Evacuations: 26 rare California condors and four Andean condors that were caged in outlying region of animal park were moved as precaution.

* Shelters: unknown

* Cause: Not yet determined

* Firefighters: 750

VENTURA COUNTY

Thousand Oaks / Malibu

* Location: Thousand Oaks to Pacific Ocean.

* Acres: 19,000

* Damage: 10 to 30 structures

* Injuries: six firefighters and three residents, minor injuries

* Status: still burning

* Evacuations: 500 campers from Santa Monica Mountains parks, children from Camarillo State Hospital and 100 exotic animals from a ranch

* Shelters: Newbury Park High School

* Cause: arson, no arrests

* Firefighters: 800

Steckel Park

* Location: Santa Paula

* Acres: 3,000

* Damage: unknown

* Injuries: unknown

* Status: still burning