In California, some 27,000 residents were forced to flee their homes in the middle of the night yesterday as a fast-moving wildfire ripped through southern part of the country. <br/><br/>Several thousand homes are under mandatory evacuation in the cities of Ventura and Santa Paula, some 115 kms north of Los Angeles. Firefighters warned the fire is moving so fast they are unable to contain it. <br/><br/>Fanned by high winds, the fire swept through 31,000 acres in a matter of hours. One person died in a traffic accident while trying to flee the blaze. Officials say, 150 structures had been destroyed and more than 260,000 people are without power. <br/><br/>Some 500 firefighters are working through the night to tackle the blaze, but fire chiefs admitted they are fighting a losing battle.