Dramatic images capture Emerald Fire tearing across 145 acres in Laguna Beach

Firefighters are still battling the blaze that forced hundreds of people to evacuate

A stack of flames rise from a hillside in Laguna Beach (AP)

A series of dramatic photographs show the Emerald Fire tearing across the drought-stricken hills of Laguna Beach, California.

The blaze erupted just after 4am on Thursday morning in Orange County’s Emerald Bay neighbourhood.

Follow live updates on the Laguna Beach fire

Within a few hours it had torn across more than 145 acres, fuelled by fierce Santa Ana winds and unseasonably high temperatures across the state.

Hundreds of people fled from their homes under evacuation orders for Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove as firefighters battled to protect structures in the affluent area from flames.

Here are some of the most striking images from the area:

The Emerald Fire is seen before sunrise on 10 February 2022 in Laguna Beach, California (Sarah Shtylman via REUTERS)

Firefighting aircraft were deployed over the blaze in Laguna Beach, California (AP)

A helicopter dumps water on a hillside in Laguna Beach on 10 February 2022 (AP)

Firefighters watch as flames advance up a hillside (AP)

A firefighter watches as a helicopter dumps water onto flames from the Emerald Fire (AFP via Getty Images)

Smoke hangs over a charred patch of land off the Southern California coast (AP)