Firefighters battling Fairview Fire in California
Two people were killed as a fast-moving wildfire swelled rapidly over parched vegetation in Southern California, forcing hundreds of residents to flee amid a severe heat wave that has enveloped the region.
The Fairview Fire ignited quickly scorched 2,000 acres, destroying at least seven structures and damaging several more near the city of Hemet in Riverside County.
About 5,000 homes were under evacuation orders as the fire slashed a path of destruction through the baked countryside.
Evacuation orders and warnings were expanded eastward as the fire progressed though it is not immediately clear how many more people or houses are impacted.
Aerial footage showed several homes burning as flames encroached under a dense layer of smoke.
A high temperature of 106 degrees was recorded in Hemet, according to the National Weather Service. Daytime temperatures will be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit through Friday in Hemet, according to the forecast.
In Northern California's Siskiyou County, two women, ages 66 and 73, died in the Mill Fire that swelled to 3935 acres and destroyed 108 structures.
The Fairview Fire was one of several wildfires wreaking havoc over the holiday weekend in California, where fires have consumed thousands of acres in less than a week.
An extended record-setting heatwave in the West is also making conditions more dangerous, with California sizzling under triple-digit temperatures that have heightened the risk for wildfires.
