In pictures: California blazes

1 of 7 At least 20 people have died as fires have swept across southern California, destroying more than 2,000 homes and scorching at least 246,400 hectares (616,000 acres) of land.

2 of 7 One of the dead was a firefighter who was overcome while battling a blaze in the resort town of Julian; reinforcements have been sent to aid the 13,000 already deployed.

3 of 7 Here a firefighter in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, lights a back blaze in an attempt to halt fires from spreading to the nearby historic town of Mentryville.

4 of 7 Firefighters then sprayed foam on the town's historic buildings - the tactic worked and the buildings were saved.

5 of 7 Others were not so lucky, here a house in Lake Arrowhead, California is destroyed by flames despite firefighters battling to save it...

6 of 7 ... and this family also lost their home.

7 of 7 But those evacuated have tried to maintain normal lives, here a young girl does her schoolwork while a man sleeps on a camp bed at an emergency centre in San Bernardino airport.