The Mountain Fire is tearing through a community northwest of Los Angeles for a second day after destroying dozens of homes and forcing thousands of residents to flee.

California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed one fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Thousands of people were under evacuation orders in Southern California as fast moving wildfires engulfed homes, authorities said, with the National Weather Service issuing a red flag alert that described the situation as "particularly dangerous".