Enjoying a swim

A woman enjoys the world's largest swimming pool at a seaside resort in Algarrobo, 95 km west from Santiago. (AFP/Martin Bernetti)

Southern California Wildfires - Day 4

A Glimmer of Hope

The devastating wildfires in Southern California have caused at least $1 billion in damage in San Diego County alone, officials said Wednesday, while firefighters hoped easing wind would give them an advantage in stopping the flames. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Firefighters gather in Running Springs in the San Bernardino Mountains early in the morning.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A television news crew lights up the rubble of a Running Springs home as smoky haze covers the area.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A Huntington Beach firefighting strike team is set up in front of a home in the Santiago Estates community as the Santiago fire burns in the hills beyond.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Newport Beach Battalion Chief Chip Duncan keeps an eye on the Santiago fire in Orange County early this morning.(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A charred car is surrounded by smoldering homes along Elm Lane in Del Dios early this morning.(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Smoke from the Witch fire in northern San Diego County shrouds Lake Hodges in Del Dios early this morning.(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

A sky crane helicopter being used for the fire fighting dumps its load of water to slow the wind whipped Stevenson Ranch fire as it rages out of control in Valencia, Calif. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other officials stand next to a burned home at Lake Arrowhead, Calif. as they toured the area. (AP Photo/Pool, Jim Wilson)

A home in the path of a fast moving wildfire burns in the northern part of Poway, California. (Fred Greaves/Reuters)

A wildfire burns out of control as it moves towards Lake Arrowhead in Running Springs, California. (AFP/Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)

A home and motor home, at left, burn in Running Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Mike Meadows)

Plumes of smoke from wildfires are seen above the Lake Arrowhead, Calif. (AP Photo/Pool, Jim Wilson)

A line of houses burn out of control at the Witch Creek Fire in Ramona, California.

(Fred Greaves/Reuters)

A tractor burns next to a house that caught fire in the patch of the Harris Ranch Fire in the far eastern part of San Diego County in the town of Jamul, California.
( REUTERS/Fred Greaves )

A firefighter knocks down flames on a house in the path of the Harris Ranch Fire in the far eastern part of San Diego County in the town of Jamul, California. REUTERS/Fred Greaves

A wildfire burns in the San Bernardino mountains near Running Springs, Calif.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A house goes up in flames during a wildfire in the Fredalba community near Running Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Southern California Wildfires - Day 2

So-Cal Fires rage on

A Chula Vista city firefighter works the head of the Harris Fire as it rages in the hills above Eastlake. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Chula Vista city fire captain Jim Miller watches the head of the Harris Fire as it rages in the hills above San Diego's Eastlake district Monday night.

(Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Firefighters take a stand as a wind-driven brush fire comes to the edge of a backyard in Poway Monday, Oct. 22, 2007. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

A Lake Arrowhead neighborhood, reduced to ash Monday afternoon, glows in the evening darkness. (Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times)

Twelve firefighters are trapped atop a ridge off Santiago Canyon Road in Orange County after flames jumped the road. The blaze roared up the hillside and prompted the crew members to deploy their fire shelters. They were surrounded by burning brush, but they made it out alive. "We just remained calm, everyone did," one firefighter said after he was checked out by paramedics. All of the firefighters were treated at the scene and did not want to go to the hospital. (Karen Tapia-Anderson / Los Angeles Times)October 22, 2007

A San Diego firefighter tackles a house blaze in Rancho Bernardo.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A plume of smoke from the Malibu fire drifts out over the Pacific Ocean.

(Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times)

A water dropping helicopter is dwarfed against a large plume of smoke advancing up the hillside in Malibu. (Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times)

Corrections officer Chuck Toland removes an American flag from the entrance the Valley Oaks Mobile home park in Fallbrook. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

The Witch Creek fire in San Diego County had grown to 10,000 acres.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A San Diego Fire Department firefighter gasps for breath in the 3000 block of Lomas Serenas in Escondido, where homes were burning on both sides of the street.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles TImes)

Volunteer firefighters from Running Springs try to halt the spead of flames in Green Valley Lake, a community about 12 miles east of Lake Arrowhead. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Flames expose the framing of this house in Green Valley Lake.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Three structures were destroyed in the 33300 block of Holcomb Creek Drive in Green Valley Lake, a mountain community about 12 miles east of Lake Arrowhead.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County firefighters climb a hill to head off spot fires behind homes on San Francisquito Canyon Road near Saugus. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A man with a garden hose tries to wet down his yard before fleeing the Foothill Ranch area.

(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Fire retardant is dropped onto the hills above Malibu as seen from Cold Canyon Road.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

A Halloween decoration is blown by the strong winds in the yard of a burned house in Rancho Bernardo. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Joyce Gossman of San Bernardino animal control leads a large dog to safety in Green Valley Lake.(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

A home crumbles in Green Valley Lake. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Despite their efforts, firefighters couldn't save this house in the 33300 block of Holcomb Creek Drive in Green Valley Lake. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Redlands Fire Capt. Rob Sandberg fastens a hose clamp as crews try to save burning homes on Juniper Lane in Green Valley Lake.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Flames outline the roof of a house at the end of Juniper Lane in Green Valley Lake.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A fire that started Monday afternoon in Stevenson Ranch threatened homes and sent smoke billowing around the Magic Mountain amusement park

(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Crews forge their way through thick smoke in Las Flores Canyon in the Malibu area.

(Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

A deck, with a telescope on it, goes up in flames near Grass Valley Lake, which is just west of Lake Arrowhead.(Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)

A helicopter drops water on a blaze in the north end of Saugus in the Santa Clarita Valley.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Shervi Balhin stands outside the tent she set up with her family inside Qualcomm Stadium Monday evening. She was evacuated from Rancho Bernardo Monday morning.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Fire races through Grass Valley Lake near Lake Arrowhead. (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Chris Branam, of San Dimas, views the giant plume of smoke from the fire in Stevenson Ranch. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The seventy horses at the Rocky Road Ranch in Hasley Canyon had nowhere to go as the Castaic Fire swept through. Although scared the horses were unharmed.

(Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times)

Orange County Fire Authority personnel keep watch on the Santiago Canyon fire before dawn.

(Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times)