Fast-moving California wildfire burns homes as people are ordered to leave

Evacuation orders in California are in effect due to a rapidly growing wildfire that has already burned six homes in the southern Los Angeles area.

The Norte Fire erupted on Friday in Orange County and quickly grew to 465 acres by the evening. One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion while battling the blaze.

Officials say the fierce Santa Ana winds will blow until Saturday, bringing further risk of more conflagrations.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a red flag warning for several California counties due to strong, gusty winds combined with low humidity and dry vegetation that create critical wildfire spread conditions.

The Norte Fire is one of 13 burning across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

In an update on Friday evening, Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said that six homes had either been damaged or destroyed by the Norte Fire, and one firefighter had been injured from heat exhaustion.

"We continue to engage in the firefight, and have additional resources coming," he said.

Footage posted online showed blazes tearing through homes in the communities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

The Bryson Fire, burning in the affluent coastal city of Malibu in Los Angeles county, has also sparked evacuation orders throughout the Santa Monica mountains and has grown to 147 acres.

Further south, the Henderson Fire in San Diego country erupted on Thursday, and has grown to over 2,000 acres, including around Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

The size of the blaze has twice forced officials to close the I-5 highway, an important route that runs the length of the US West Coast.

The fires are being fanned by the Santa Ana winds, which normally begin during cooler months from late September to May.

Officials say the winds peaked on Friday, but will remain dangerous into early Saturday morning.

Winds topped 40mph (64km/h) in the Los Angeles area, the NWS said, adding that motorists should watch for debris blown into roadways.