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Homes and cars are reduced to ashes as a Californian forest blaze rages around Wrightwood in hills above San Bernadino .

More than 80,000 people were evacuated as firefighters failed to make an impact on the flames, which erupted on Tuesday and have incinerated numerous buildings.

The so-called Blue Cut Fire , which erupted in a mountainous pass northeast of Los Angeles, had expanded to cover more than 34,000 acres in 48 hours.

Firefighters had managed to carve containment lines around only 4 percent of the wildfire consuming parched and rugged landscape.

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A car is pictured on a property that was destroyed by the Blue Cut wildfire in Phelan

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The sun is obscured by a long plume of smoke from the Blue Cut Fire, near Wrightwood

The intensity is highly unusual, say officials, concerned that dry, hot and windy weather conditions are set to continue.

It is not completely clear how many homes had burned down but a local official claimed dozens of structures, at least, were destroyed.

Giant smoke columns rising from the fire were also captured from space on a NASAsatellite.

The blaze is the latest in a series of intense wildfires in the region, where years of drought have placed a heavy burden on firefighting resources.

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Flames threaten to jump a ridge that firefighting aircraft have painted red with fire retardant above Cajon Boulevard at the Blue Cut Fire

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A firefighting helicopter makes a drop but the flames are still not under control