Breaking News: Southern California Fires Coverage

Thousands Evacuate as Flames Scorch 50,000 Acres

13 Die, 700 Structures Are Lost to Wind-Driven Flames

Their house would collapse in a smoking ruin, and tears would stain their faces for hours afterward, but at least they had the family pictures.

The phone woke Joe McLean shortly after 3 a.m.

On a street in the tiny community of Crest, some residents whose homes were destroyed in a 1970 fire lose out once again.

Firefighter Dies Near Julian; 350 Homes Burn in Arrowhead

The fire broke over the mountain crest in sheets just before dawn Wednesday and whipped across the Rim of the World Highway like a cross-cut saw, foiling the plans of Fire Capt.

Some residents of a rural San Diego County community drove through flames to safety early Sunday, while neighbors perished.

Cuyamaca is virtually burned away. Residents of the area must walk for miles to learn if their homes survived the fire.

Fire protection in San Diego County, where 16 people died this week in massive blazes, lags significantly behind other areas of the state in terms of resources, coordination and equipment.