SAN, DIEGO California (CNN) - More San Diego County residents faced orders to leave their homes early Wednesday as wildfires. Threatened new areas of charred smoke-choked Southern, California. Firefighters battle the Witch Fire on Tuesday in the. Del Dios area, of Escondido California. The newest evacuees from De Luz a community, near the Camp Pendleton, Marine baseAnd from the Fallbrook area near Riverside County will join an estimated 950 000 people, already seeking refuge from the. Fires, in shelters hotels and at friends' homes. The National Weather Service said a red-flag warning for extreme gusty. Winds was in effect through 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m ET), Wednesday.But forecasters said firefighters should see an end to the Santa Ana winds that have fueled the fires by Thursday. Some. Residents won 't have to wait for Thursday to get home. People who evacuated earlier this week from Scripps Ranch and Del. Mar Heights can go, home immediately San Diego emergency spokeswoman Lynda Pfieffer said Wednesday morning. More than 20 fires. Have, scorched 400000-plus acres from the Mexican border to northern Los Angeles County and inland into the San Bernardino Mountains since. The weekend. - The blazes have killed one person and injured at least 70 more. Thirty-four firefighters have, been hurt. Authorities said. Firefighters received help from Mexico the state, and federal governments and even inmates from California s. ' Prisons, About 7.000 firefighters were battling the, 2 blazes including, inmates 300 from California 's Department of Corrections, and Rehabilitation. According to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Cartelli described scenes of utter. " Devastation "with hundreds of homes lost and" many hundreds "of others damaged. I-Report Readers find safety share stories,, I-Report:Share your story Your images of California wildfires "It 's probably the worst significant event in my career of, 36 years". Cartelli said. "It will not end... Until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around." After an aerial tour of the affected. Area Tuesday Homeland Security, Secretary Michael Chertoff said, "We are still facing some very serious fires.The weather has made it very difficult for the air assets to get up and fight the fires... If the, weather cooperates. Maybe we can turn the tide tomorrow. "Officials have evacuated, nearly 350 000 homes in San Diego County alone where the,, Worst of the fires are blazing. Based on numbers from the 2000 census as many, as 950 000 may, have been affected. Among. The evacuees are more, than 4000 military personnel from bases in the area. Interstate 5 the main, artery between San Diego and Los Angeles was closed,, In both directions early Wednesday along a stretch of the freeway north of Oceanside at Camp Pendleton because of heavy. Smoke from an operation to contain a wildfire on the, Marine base a base spokesman said. With the winds pushing them across. The, areaThe fires, spread quickly forcing some residents to flee in the Tuesday morning darkness. "My wife woke me up like 12 o, clock. ' Screaming and yelling that the flames were coming down, "said Johnny Villanueva of Spring Valley who fled, with his wife. And daughter to San Diego 's, Qualcomm Stadium which is serving as a shelter to more, than 12 000 evacuees."We just loaded up the car really quick and came down here... Slept in our vehicles." His wife Elizabeth added,,, I saw. " The mountain, on fire and said, 'Oh, my God my family... Let' s go. '"Michelle Dresser a business, owner forced from her. Lake Arrowhead home by a wildfire, last year said she was waiting until the last minute to leave. She spent Monday night. In, her storePartly to help customers and neighbors. "It is crazy. We are surrounded by fire on both sides," she said. "I have to find. Someplace to accept two dogs two cats, and a turtle. "Don 't Miss In Depth: California wildfires Wildfire smoke poses serious. Health dangers E - mail from an Inferno: The horror of the fire Evacuation tips Animals are allowed in, Qualcomm StadiumA nearby field and Del Mar Fairgrounds and Racetrack. President Bush is scheduled to visit the area Thursday the White,, House said. Chertoff arrived in San Diego on Tuesday afternoon for a look at the devastation.Chertoff called federal efforts "phenomenally better" than the 2005 response to Hurricane Katrina because we have been. " Preparing and planning and training together for the last 2 ½ years. "" Unlike in Katrina... We have now built the process... And. We 've rehearsed it so when, we take, the field the team already knows what we need to do."Is Schwarzenegger said he was" heartbroken "after touring the Lake, Arrowhead area where the Grass Valley and Slide fires. Have burned 5 000 acres, and destroyed more than 200 homes. "This is, a tragedy what is happening in California," he, said. The combination of, dry terrain searing heat and hammering winds created "the perfect storm for fire," the governor said.San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said the mayor, of Tijuana Mexico had sent, four fire engines and their crews to, help out. And the governor of Baja California had offered help. Chertoff, said cots blankets water and, other supplies have been moved. Where they, are needed and more are coming. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, delivered 25 000 cots to Qualcomm early. Tuesday.Of San Diego County 's 10 major blazes the Witch, Fire in, the north which has grown to, acres 200 000, the is priority because. Of its significant threat to structures said Lane the, Ron, county 's director of emergency services. In northern Los Angeles. ,, County the Ranch Buckweed and Magic fires have charred more, than 93 000 acres. In San, Diego County a utility spokesman. Said, a 500000-volt transmission line was damaged when the Harris, Fire expanded and it will be out of service until at least, Wednesday. Other transmission lines have been destroyed. A firefighter at Rancho Bernardo in San Diego County showed distress. "Every. One of us out here feels like these homes are our own. We know what it 's like to see people' s faces when they 've lost everything.It 's devastating to see so much of this all at once.
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