Dramatic images capture Emerald Fire tearing across 145 acres in Laguna Beach

Firefighters are still battling the blaze that forced hundreds of people to evacuate

Thursday 10 February 2022 16:14 EST

A stack of flames rise from a hillside in Laguna Beach (AP)

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A series of dramatic photographs show the Emerald Fire tearing across the drought-stricken hills of Laguna Beach, California.

The blaze erupted just after 4am on Thursday morning in Orange County’s Emerald Bay neighbourhood.

Follow live updates on the Laguna Beach fire

Within a few hours it had torn across more than 145 acres, fuelled by fierce Santa Ana winds and unseasonably high temperatures across the state.

Hundreds of people fled from their homes under evacuation orders for Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove as firefighters battled to protect structures in the affluent area from flames.