In the firestorm that occurred Thursday the flames drew near thousands of homes in Southern California in spite of the break of the harsh winds and the massive aerial assault. It was expected that the dry Santa Ana winds would disappear by Thursday.

The hot and dry winds started a massive fire over the weekend. The high temperatures have since succumbed thanks to the cooling sea breezes. The two fires that burned 21 homes in L.A. County were under control.

A fire cut off the power link with Arizona and another blaze threatened the power corridor that connects San Diego with California. Sempra Utilities Chief Operating Officer Michael Niggli said that additional power would be shipped from Mexico.

The firefighters managed to contain 40 percent of the four fires in San Diego County. Still, 8,500 homes are threatened.

In the San Bernardino County mountain resort of Lake Arrowhead officials said that 6,000 homes remain under the threat of two wild fires that have already destroyed more than 300 homes.

The two fires remained out of control. Firefighters are using aerial tankers and helicopters, dumping more than 30 loads of water.

President George W. Bush declared a major disaster in seven county regions. He was scheduled to arrive in California Thursday in order to take an aerial tour of the burn areas alongside Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

About 1,500 homes in Southern California have been destroyed by 15 fires since last Saturday. The area stretches from Ventura County north of Los Angeles east to the San Bernardino National Forest and going south to the U.S.-Mexico border, describing an arc of nearly 460,000 acres (719 square miles).

In spite of the spread of the fires only one victim was counted, 52-year-old Thomas Varshock of Tecate. The San Diego medical examiner's office named other five deaths in connection to the blazes because all who died were evacuees. Authorities said that the number of victims could rise.