A wildfire was spreading through Santa Barbara County and was "completely out of control" after starting on Saturday, Fire Chief Dave Zaniboni said.

The fire trapped around 90 children and 50 counselors at the Circle V Ranch, a Californian summer camp, before they were evacuated.

Another fire in the same area forced residents of 200 homes to evacuate. The blaze tripled in size in some eight hours, covering an area of some 77 square kilometers (30 square miles), firefighter spokesman Kirk Sturm said.

In Northern California, firefighters were also battling a separate blaze that swept through grassy foothills and destroyed 10 structures in Butte County. The fire prompted authorities to issue an evacuation order for 250 homes threatened by fire.

Some 3,000 firefighters were deployed in California

LA heat breaks records

Over a dozen other fires were raging elsewhere in the state, fanned by hot dry winds, as California faced record-breaking heat. Hot weather also fueled blazes in other American states and in Canada.

Weather experts say that temperatures reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.7 Celsius) in downtown Los Angeles, breaking a 131-year-old record. The previous record of 35 degrees Celsius was set in 1886, according to the National Weather Service. The high temperatures were expected to create "dangerous and potentially life-threatening" situations in more inland sections of California, they added.

The wealthy US state is still reeling from a severe five-year drought. The crisis was declared over in April this year, following rain and snowfall. Some bans on water consumption remain in place, however.

California wasn't the only region along the west coast to be hit by wildfires. Extremely dry weather and fanning winds in the Canadian province of British Columbia saw fierce flames spread across large areas, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes and prompting the provincial government to declare a state of emergency.

This is what climate change looks like Flaming inferno Some 10,500 firefighters were called to tackle forest fires in California in 2015. They were unable to prevent 1,400 homes from destruction. The blaze was fueled by hot and dry weather - as a result of climate change.

This is what climate change looks like Vanishing hunting grounds The polar bear has become a symbol of climate change, as its habitat is threatened by global warming. The Arctic predator hunts from ice sheets that are fast disappearing. As the ice retreats, they are unable to stalk their prey, and risk starvation. By 2050, scientists warn that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer.

This is what climate change looks like Needle in a haystack Just visible from the air is a little wood hut on the island of Spitzbergen in Norway. It is home to the Arctic research base where French and German scientists are studying climatic and atmospheric changes in the polar region, including the damage done to permafrost and glacier systems.

This is what climate change looks like No use bleating A goat watches a mountain expedition on the Swiss Aletsch Glacier, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was around a kilometer longer in 1860 than it is today. Due to global warming, the glacier is shrinking by up to 50 meters per year. With the rate of retreat increasing, scientists fear Europe's biggest glacier could disappear altogether.

This is what climate change looks like Viewed from a safe distance … … the landscape looks peaceful, bathed in a mystical light. But the actual situation is far more unsettling. This aerial view shows Central Luzon in the Philippines, completely flooded after it was hit by a typhoon and heavy rain. People were drowned or buried under landslides, and half a million were forced to flee their homes. The country is hit by 20 typhoons each year.

This is what climate change looks like When everything is lost … … escape is all that's left. The World Bank warns that if global warming continues unimpeded, another 100 million people will be under threat. Poor people in parts of Africa and South Asia are at particular risk. Drought and flooding threaten crops - leading to hunger, disease and high food prices.

This is what climate change looks like Children carry the burden Climate change often hits children the hardest, through no fault of their own. Studies have found that economic problems exacerbated by drought can have profound social impacts, such as in an increase in child marriages, for example. Families may marry off their underage daughters earlier to have fewer mouths they have to feed.

This is what climate change looks like 'Renewable' elephants Elephants produce huge quantities of manure. At Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo in Germany, one local utility is turning their waste into electric power. Around 2,000 tons of biowaste provides enough power for a hundred homes. Could this be a model for an African school? In any case, climate change is forcing new ways of thinking in the search for green energy.

This is what climate change looks like Shipping out The Rhine River is Europe's busiest waterway for shipping - but climate change is affecting business. Ongoing drought means shipping firms would be forced to use shorter vessels that can navigate shallower waters. If ships aren't able to set off, more goods have to be transported by road - which is more expensive.

This is what climate change looks like Pale as a ghost Healthy coral reefs are like a blooming garden. But global warming is bleaching the life out of them. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with algae, which are vital to their health. But as the water heats up, they expel the algae. If warmer water temperatures persist, a lack of nutrients calcifies the corals, which makes their color fade and causes the organisms to die.

This is what climate change looks like Vineyards heading north Global warming also has its benefits. In recent years, wine is being produced on Germany's northernmost island, Sylt. Ever more vineyards are being established at higher altitudes and further north - even Scandinavia now has some. Global warming also means earlier harvests and sweeter grapes. Author: Karin Jäger / rr, ng



dj/tj (AP, AFP)