Scroll down to see some really great photos a friend sent to me.

In October 2007, over a dozen wildfires across Southern California, United States forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. This evacuation comes almost four years to the day after the Cedar Fire of 2003 in San Diego.

At least 7people have been reported dead. Fires burned in Malibu, Lake Arrowhead, Irvine, San Diego, and many other places. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties as a result.

Unless you've experienced one of these wildfires fueled by Santa Ana winds it's hard to understand just how fast and powerful they are. These winds often blow 30 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 or 60. If you're caught anywhere near such a fire you're not going to outrun it.

The Cedar Fire of 2003 in San Diego destroyed more homes than this one, but this one moved into some very pricey and exclusive areas including Rancho Santa Fe - a world class area of luxury homes in San Diego county.

Below are some truly incredible photos of this fire - including some "burning mansions"