Fires Rage in Southern California, 250,000 Evacuated

With fires raging from the Mexico border through Los Angeles and northward to Santa Barbara, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties Sunday night. Monday, he called this a tragic time for the state.

The fires, fanned by desert winds called Santa Anas, are being fueled by tinder-dry brush following a hot summer and record drought.

A number of homes were burning Monday near Lake Arrowhead, in a mountain resort area.
Some of the worst damage was in the seaside community of Malibu, west of Los Angeles, where 1,500 people were evacuated. Fires swept through more than 900 hectares and destroyed at least five homes and a church.

Governor Schwarzenegger spoke with reporters after touring Malibu Monday, and said he hoped for a change in the weather.

"We have to just pray that the wind slows down because the wind is our number one enemy right now, and the dry weather, so we hope that these weather conditions change as quickly as possible."

Fierce Santa Ana winds, which can gust higher than 100 kilometers per hour, are not expected to die down for several days, and California officials are requesting aid from neighboring states.

参考译文：

随着大火从墨西哥边境经洛杉矶一路向北席卷到了圣芭芭拉市. 加州州长阿诺·施瓦辛格周日晚间宣布全州七个县进入紧急状态。周一，他称这次是本州的危难时刻。

在经历一个酷暑及史上罕见的干旱后形成的这场大火既有圣塔安那沙漠大风助纣为虐又有干燥易然的灌木丛火上加油。

周一在处于山脉旅游圣地的箭头湖旁，有很多房屋被烧毁。受灾最严重的地方还包括西洛杉矶的马利布海滨地区,有1500人被疏散。大火席卷了900多公顷的地区，至少烧毁了5座房屋和1座教堂。

施瓦辛格州长从马利布巡视归来后对记者说他希望天气能改变。

我们不得不祈祷风能小下来，因为现在风是我们的头号敌人，还有这干燥的天气，我们希望天气情况能尽快改变。

时速可超过100公里每小时的圣塔安那狂风预计在未来几天内都不可能减弱，加州官员正在请求周边各州的援助。