California home searched as part of arson investigation over wildfires

California authorities and FBI agents searched a home Wednesday as part of an arson investigation into one of the wildfires devastating Southern California, a law enforcement official said.

The search was conducted in Orange County by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the FBI, the official said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing, would not say what was taken.

"FBI Los Angeles is assisting Orange County fire officials and sheriff's office in an ongoing investigation into the source of some of the fires," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said. He referred all other questions to local authorities.

The fires, now in their fourth day, have destroyed 1,500 homes and caused at least a half-million people to flee, in what has become the largest evacuation in state history. At least 1,200 damaged homes were in San Diego County, which is just south of Orange County, and officials believe that number will rise.

Twenty-one firefighters and at least 24 others have been injured. One person was killed by the flames, and the San Diego medical examiner's officer listed five other deaths as connected to the blazes.

Thousands of people remained in emergency shelters, where many had an agonizing wait to find out whether their homes had survived.