Wildfires devastate southern California

Firefighters have started to contain wildfires that have devastated southern parts of the state.
Firefighters monitor a section of the Thomas Fire along the 101 freeway on December 7, 2017 north of Ventura, California.GETTY IMAGES
California is entering its sixth day battling dangerous wildfires. They have been driven by extreme weather conditions: low humidity, high winds and parched ground.
Fires rage near a highway in California in December 2017.GETTY IMAGES
Authorities issued a purple alert - the highest level warning - amid what it called "extremely critical fire weather". Fanned by high winds, six large fires, and other smaller blazes, swept through tens of thousands of acres in a matter of hours.
A helicopter flies over wildfires.EPA
About 5,700 firefighters have been battling the fires, with many drafted in from neighbouring states to help. The Thomas fire in Ventura County is the largest, and has destroyed more than 430 buildings.
Flames engulf the hillside near a home in southern California.EPA
Nearly 200,000 residents were evacuated from their homes, with many forced to flee in the middle of the night as the flames rapidly spread.
A firefighter douses flames in a California home.AFP
Three firefighters have been injured and hundreds of buildings destroyed. One death was reported after a 70-year-old woman was found dead in her car on an evacuation route.
Satellite images show the flames from space.NASA/EPA
Satellite imagery shows the vast Thomas Fire, north of Los Angeles, which has spread as far as the Pacific coast. US President Donald Trump issued a state of emergency in response to the fires.
Scorched road viewed through the windscreen of a burnt out car.GETTY IMAGES
There are fears the blaze will hurt California's vast agricultural industry. Much of the state's avocado crop has been destroyed. About 90% of US avocados are grown in California and the industry is worth millions to the economy.
A couple assess the damage caused by the wildfires.AFP
The fires have destroyed homes and scorched residential areas. In the wealthy Los Angeles enclave of Bel Air, firefighters were seen removing belongings from luxury homes as the flames spread.
Three women stand in the burnt out shell of a house in southern California following the wildfires.GETTY IMAGES
Several evacuation orders were lifted on Friday afternoon, leaving residents free to return home and assess the damage. By Saturday, firefighters had made progress in containing the blaze.