Terrie Morin, 60, and her husband Dave were at the barber shop when they heard about a raging wildfire making headway toward their Camarillo home on Wednesday morning.

California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed one fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Steven Snyder stood by his bedroom window, gazing out as his neighborhood burned. Waves of red and orange flames and plumes of black smoke swallowed everything in sight — yet, remarkably, his house stood unscathed.

Thousands of people were under evacuation orders in Southern California as fast moving wildfires engulfed homes, authorities said, with the National Weather Service issuing a red flag alert that described the situation as "particularly dangerous.

Firefighters were gaining ground Monday on a wildfire that raced across more than 32 square miles north of Los Angeles, damaged or destroyed almost 250 homes, businesses and other structures and continued to "creep and smolder" in steep rugged terrain.

Authorities said firefighters battled fierce, howling winds and rescued people as a fast-moving Southern California wildfire exploded in size.