A new 200-acre wildfire has broken out in southern California, prompting authorities to order people out of their homes as at least four dwellings were destroyed.

The brush fire ignited in San Bernardino, east of Los Angeles, early on Thursday morning and threatened a neighbourhood called North Park, according to local media.

Evacuations were ordered and residents put up in a nearby school. Flames tore through a number of homes, a Los Angeles Times photographed reported, amid strongly gusting wind.

The new blaze erupted after the National Weather Service issued an ”extreme red flag warning” for strong, dry winds that could exacerbate the spate of massive fires ravaging the state.

On Thursday morning experts said that “extremely critical and life threatening fire weather conditions” would persist for part of southern California until Friday.

California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Show all 23 1 /23 California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Flames consume a home as the Kincade Fire tears through the Jimtown community of Sonoma County on 19 October 2019 AP California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Fire explodes out the entrance of the Soda Rock Winery in October 2019 AFP via Getty California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A helicopter passes a smoke plume in October 2019 AP California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Firefighters battle a fire, as a wind driven wildfire continues to burn in Canyon Country north of Los Angeles in October 2019 REUTERS California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A firefighter battles a grass fire on East Cypress Road in Knightsen in October 2019 AP California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Embers blow in the wind as the Kincaide Fire burns in October 2019 Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Smoke rising above the hills in October 2019 Planet Labs Inc/AFP via Getty California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A garage burns at a vineyard in October 2019 AFP via Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A firefighter monitors the Kincaide Fire in October 2019 Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A hillside smolders as firefighters light backfires to slow the spread of the Kincade Fire in October 2019 AP California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Flames from the Kincade Fire consume a car in October 2019 AP California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Flames approach rolling hills of grape vines AFP via Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A crew of inmate firefighters take a break AFP via Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A back fire set by firefighters burns along a hillside during firefighting operations to battle the Kincade Fire in Healdsburg, California on October 26, 2019. - US officials on October 26 ordered about 50,000 people to evacuate parts of the San Francisco Bay area in California as hot dry winds are forecast to fan raging wildfires. (Photo by Philip Pacheco / www.philippachecophoto.com / AFP) (Photo by PHILIP PACHECO/www.philippachecophoto.com/AFP via Getty Images) PHILIP PACHECO www.philippachecophoto.com/AFP v California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A fire burns in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico October 25, 2019 in this picture obtained from social media on October 26, 2019. Instagram @dnlrlln via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY INSTAGRAM @DNLRLLN INSTAGRAM @DNLRLLN via REUTERS California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos epa07947995 Firefighters work at extinguishing the Tick Fire in a factory near Santa Clarita, California, USA, 24 October 2019. According to latest news report, 5,000 acres have been burnt, including houses and facilities. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT ETIENNE LAURENT EPA California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos TOPSHOT - A building is engulfed in flames at a vineyard during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. - fast-moving wildfire roared through California wine country early Thursday, as authorities warned of the imminent danger of more fires across much of the Golden State. The Kincade fire in Sonoma County kicked up Wednesday night, quickly growing from a blaze of a few hundred acres into an uncontained 10,000-acre (4,000-hectare) inferno, California fire and law enforcement officials said. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) JOSH EDELSON AFP via Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos A fire whirl whips across dry brush as the Kincade fire spreads through the region of Sonoma County, Calif., Thursday morning, Oct, 24, 2019. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) Kent Porter AP California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos TOPSHOT - A fire truck heads towards flames during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. - The fire broke out in spite of rolling blackouts by utility companies in both northern and Southern California. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) JOSH EDELSON AFP via Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Embers and smoke spread over a hillside during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. - The fire broke out in spite of rolling blackouts by utility companies in both northern and Southern California. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) JOSH EDELSON AFP via Getty Images California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos Ashley LaFranchi examines the remains of her family's Oak Ridge Angus ranch, leveled by the Kincade Fire, in Calistoga, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019. According to Cal Fire, the blaze has scored more than 66,000 acres and destroyed at least 96 structures. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Noah Berger AP California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos epaselect epa07957057 Firefighters look at the rotation of helicopters dropping water on the Getty Fire spreading in the hills behind the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, USA, 28 October 2019. More than 500 acres were burnt due to the Getty fire along the 405 Freeway. Some 10 thousand are under mandatory evacuation orders. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT ETIENNE LAURENT EPA California fires 2019: State-wide emergency in photos epa07957059 A helicopter drops water on the Getty Fire spreading in the hills behind the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, USA, 28 October 2019. More than 500 acres were burnt due to the Getty fire along the 405 Freeway. Some 10 thousand are under mandatory evacuation orders. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT ETIENNE LAURENT EPA

With California tinder-dry and fires burning in both the north and south, the state was at the mercy of strong winds, on high alert for any new flames that could run wild and weary from intentional blackouts aimed at preventing power lines from sparking more destruction.

As Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) deliberately switched off power to homes and businesses to prevent fire, it has failed to communicate with California officials, given conflicting accounts about when the lights would go out and advised people to get information “the old-fashioned way, through calling on a landline”.

The company is still struggling to get it right, weeks after it first started plunging millions of people into darkness to prevent strong winds from toppling its power lines and igniting fires.

PG&E’s widespread outages have come in waves, leading to reprimands from state officials and growing anger as the blackouts stretch on for days in Northern California.

Elsewhere in the state, hundreds of goats were credited with helping to prevent wildfires burning the Ronald Reagan presidential library.

Some 500 of the gluttonous goats were deployed earlier this year to eat away at flammable scrub surrounding the complex near Simi Valley, which is northwest of LA.

The 13-acre gap allowed firefighters to douse flames from the so-called Easy Fire that had been whipped up by gale-force winds.

“They believe that fire break made their job easier,” said Melissa Giller, a library spokeswoman. “The brush only went so far, it didn’t reach the library, because the goats ate it all.”

With names including Vincent Van Goat and Selena Goatmez, the mainly Boer goats like to eat noxious weeds and other invasive species that fuel wildfires, said Scott Morris, 43, owner of local company 805 Goats.

The presidential library houses papers and memorabilia from Reagan’s 1981-1989 administrations, and the Cold War leader is buried there next to his wife Nancy. Items on display include an Air Force One jet and a piece of the Berlin Wall.