Violent blaze leaves Altadena community in despair

Homes reduced to ashes, businesses in flames, and in the midst of the devastation, haggard residents: the California city of Altadena, ravaged on Wednesday by a violent fire, looked like an area that has just been bombed.

"This was our home," said William Gonzales, pointing to smoldering ruins where only embers and a chimney remain.

"We have lost practically everything," he sighed. "The flames have consumed all our dreams."

Swathes of the Los Angeles area have been ravaged since Tuesday by violent fires that have killed at least five people.

More than 100,000 people have been told to flee their homes in the face of flames and violent winds that have gusted up to 160km/h.

In Altadena, behind the mountains north of Los Angeles, firefighters have been overwhelmed by the scale of a blaze that has already destroyed around 500 buildings, including many homes.