Blaze destroys 70 homes in wealthy California communityPowerful wind early Friday helped spread a brush fire that destroyed some 70 homes in the wealthy southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, community of Montecito, authorities in Santa Barbara county said. The fire broke out around sundown Thursday, and driven by wind gusts of up to 113 kilometers (70 miles per hour) quickly overwhelmed area firefighters. By midnight (0800 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) See UTC. GMT - Universal Time 1 ) the blaze had destroyed at least 70 homes and scorched scorch v. scorched, scorch·ing, scorch·es v.tr. 1. To burn superficially so as to discolor or damage the texture of. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. some 320 hectares (800 acres), spokeswoman Terri Nisich with the San Barbara County executive office told the CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. network affiliate KCAL-9. At least four people were injured, Nisich said. Santa Barbara County officials told KCAL kcal kilocalorie. kcal abbr. kilocalorie kcal kilocalorie. that 125 engines, more than 1,000 firefighters from nearby communities and three water-dropping helicopters were battling the blaze. A hillside community with ocean views, Montecito -- located some 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Los Angeles -- is home to celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, who owns a 17 hectare (42 acre) estate where she famously hosted a fundraising reception for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama during the Democratic party primaries. Actors Michael Douglas and Rob Lowe also own property in Montecito. "I have so many concerns," Terry McElwee, operation chief for the Montecito Fire Department, told the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Morning daily newspaper. Established in 1881, it was purchased and incorporated in 1884 by Harrison Gray Otis (1837–1917) under The Times-Mirror Co. (the hyphen was later dropped from the name). . "It's just moving so fast right now ... We're having trouble rounding up enough resources." The wind was pushing the flames southwest towards the city of Santa Barbara, local media reported. 
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