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Photos Show Devastation Left By Wildfire Consuming Southern California

The blaze has ripped through the region "like a freight train," one official said.
By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

An out-of-control brush fire consumed hillsides around the Santa Clarita Valley near Los Angeles over the weekend, charring 33,000 acres and destroying more than a dozen structures in the region.

One person was found dead inside a burned vehicle, although it was unclear if the fire was to blame.

On Sunday, firefighters struggled to extinguish the “very serious” blaze, which was spurred by heavy winds and daily temperatures stretching up to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 1,600 people worked to control the fire, yet just 10 percent was contained.

The fire’s severity prompted mandatory evacuations for hundreds of people and hundreds of homes remain under threat, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.

Deputy fire chief John Tripp told the Los Angeles Times that the wildfire had grown rapidly, swelling by more than 10,000 acres on Sunday and ripping through the region “like a freight train.”

In a state still reeling from years of drought, photos from the front lines showed the awesome power of the flames. Take a look below:

DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
A firefighter hoses down burning pipes near a water tank.
MARK RALSTON via Getty Images
A firefighting helicopter makes a drop.
David McNew via Getty Images
Firefighters battle flames in Placerita Canyon.
PG/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
The Sand Fire burns in Santa Clarita.
DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
A firefighting helicopter drops water on a flaming hillside.
DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
Firefighters of the Texas Canyon Hotshot crew work to control the blaze near a residential golf course.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The fire has consumed dozens of square miles.
DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
Residents flee their home as flames continue to spread.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A car covered in aerially-applied fire retardant.
PG/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
An emergency responder watches the fire in the distance.
DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
A firefighter reaches for the door of his truck as flames close in on homes.
DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
Inmate handcrew firefighters shield themselves from embers and heavy smoke.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of the hand crew rest on a hillside.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Angeles County firefighters pause to fight the flames due to erratic winds.
FG/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
A view of the ash and smoke cloud from the fire.
David McNew via Getty Images
Firefighters are forced to retreat as flame close in on them in Placerita Canyon.
MARK RALSTON via Getty Images
A firefighting helicopter drops water on the blaze.
DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
Flames blown by strong winds close in on homes.
DAVID MCNEW via Getty Images
A firefighter with the Texas Canyon Hotshot crew lights a backfire near homes to fight the Sand Fire.

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