The scene from the air above San Diego was yesterday described as looking “like an atom bomb going off”, as the number of people displaced by California’s out-of-control wildfires reached one million - the largest evacuation in the state’s history.

Today will mark the fifth day of the catastrophe, with the 100mph Santa Ana winds - which carry scorching air from the Mojave Desert to the coast - continuing to help flames rip across hundreds of thousands of acres of the Golden State, from Malibu to the Mexican border.

The hurricane-like winds have made fighting the fire from the air virtually impossible, with crews on the ground having to deal with no water pressure and emergency runways that keep bursting into flames. Meanwhile, US fire fighters have been joined by fire crews from across the Mexican border, along with 2,300 local prison inmates, in what has so far been a losing battle with the blaze.

So far, the fires have destroyed almost 1,500 homes; uprooted celebrities; shut down the major I-5 freeway; interrupted filming of the TV drama 24 and other productions; forced Sony to close its American headquarters and halt laptop production at a nearby factory; and threatened Camp Pendleton, where US Marines are trained before being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. he most valuable property to be lost so far is a $17 million 'castle' in Malibu.

Meanwhile, another 68,500 homes remain under siege, with economists predicting that such a massive elimination of housing inventory could bring an abrupt halt to California’s property crash.

In human terms, the cost of the fire has been remarkably low, with only one confirmed death, and 70 injured, including 34 firefighters. President Bush will visit the scene of the disaster today, and the cost of the damages in San Diego alone is expected to hit $1 billion.

The precise number of evacuees has been difficult to establish, but an analysis of the 2000 census by CNN put the number at 950,000, including 4,000 military personnel.

San Diego’s state-of-the-art Qualcomm Stadium has become a temporary home to some 12,000 displaced residents, who have already nicknamed it ‘The Ritz’.

Reporters said they found almost as many volunteers as evacuees, with lavish picnics, abundant toiletry supplies, and even musical entertainment, massages and acupuncture.

Nevertheless, the trauma of losing a home remained very real to more than 1,4000 families, and an almost unbearable prospect for others, who had no idea of knowing if their property had survived inside the evacuation areas. Some families watched their homes burn down on live TV.

At another San Diego evacuation facility, the Del Mar Fairgrounds, J.C. Playford was one of thousands caught in an agonising state of limbo. He said he had heard two reports about his home: “One person told me it’s gone, and one person said it’s still there.”

Celebrities affected by the blazes have included Kelsey Grammer, best known for his role in the sitcom Frasier, who was evacuated from his Malibu home.

“All I see is smoke," he told the E! TV channel, “but we’re okay. We’re safe. We got the dog, we got the kids.” The actor and director Mel Gibson was also evacuated from his home, while the A-List Malibu restaurant Nobu has started to serve free meals to fire fighters.

Hopes were growing overnight that the Santa Ana winds might weaken today. This would allow a more focused aerial assault, and help contain some of the most destructive blazes.

“If the weather co-operates, maybe we can turn the tide,” said Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Secretary.

Meanwhile, complaints from some fire fighters that lives had been threatened because of a lack of resources were dismissed angrily by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California governor, who has been relentlessly touring the disaster area.

“Anyone that is complaining about the planes just wants to complain,” he said. “The fact is that we could have all the planes in the world - we have 90 aircraft here and six that we got from the federal government - and they can’t fly because of the wind.”

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