In the US state of California, Fire crews have made progress north of Sacramento, as they fought to contain a blaze that destroyed about 50 homes. The fire in the rural Butte County killed at least one resident.

California's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has ordered two-thousand more National Guards to join the 400 already on fire-fighting duty. Officials say the blaze is about 40 percent contained, mostly in areas that had been at highest risk to more homes.

Despite the scope of the wildfires, the only other deaths have been a volunteer firefighter who collapsed on the fire line and an elderly woman who suffered a heart attack.

State officials say this fire season has seen the most fires at one time in recorded Californian history.

(CCTV July 14, 2008)