By DPA
Los Angeles : The death toll rose to 12 from California fires as President George W. Bush visited the devastated area and authorities confirmed that one of the worst fires was the result of deliberate arson.
The deadly Santa Ana winds that had fuelled the fires died down to be replaced by ocean breezes that carried moisture to the parched landscape.
By Thursday afternoon some 200,000 hectares had burnt, destroying at least 1,600 homes, damaging thousands more and causing losses as high as $1.5 billion according to Risk Management Solutions, a risk-modelling firm.
On Wednesday, two charred bodies were found in a burned home outside San Diego. Ten other deaths have been attributed to the fire — with five caused directly by the blaze and seven others occurring during or after evacuations, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
While seven major blazes were fully contained, some of the most destructive fires around San Diego remained only 10 and 20 percent contained, though ocean winds were pushing them away from populated areas.
The respite allowed many residents to start returning to their homes, just as Bush took a tour of the ruins.
“Many across our nation have been moved by the plight of the citizens who have lost their homes,” Bush told reporters. “I’ve come to make sure that the federal government provides the help for people at the local level.
“There’s no question that a lot of people are suffering, no question that there’s been terrible losses,” he continued. “We are here to make sure that all the resources at our disposal are used to help you.
“We’re not going to forget you in Washington DC. We want people to know there’s a better day ahead,” he said.
Driven by stiff Santa Ana winds from the eastern desert, more than a dozen wildfires started last weekend and raged through the drought-parched region, which is covered by a string of wealthy cities and towns.
The dying winds helped fire fighters by reducing the fanning effect on the blazes, and also allowed the growing number of aircraft on the scene to attack the fires with more force. Heavy smoke cover had hindered them over recent days.
Fires also blazed to the east, where a huge wall of flames threatened the resort town of Lake Arrowhead and had burned about 125 houses. About 10,000 fire fighters were battling to contain the blazes.
A total of 340,000 households had been ordered to evacuate. It was unclear how many households heeded the orders, but only 27,000 people made it to the hastily erected refugee centres set up at sports stadiums, schools and churches throughout the region.
Many others stayed with friends and family. Others booked into hotels, or stayed with strangers who posted welcome listings on the Internet.
More than 12,000 evacuees gathered in a state of shock at the Qualcomm Stadium in downtown San Diego, at the sprawling city fairgrounds, at the Camp Pendelton Marine base and other military facilities.
Officials called for donations of food, bedding and other supplies for the tens of thousands of refugees.
It was the largest evacuation since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and was carried out far more quickly by the government.