Correction: CA Governor Schwarzenegger Offers Reward For Arsonist As Wildfires Subside Across State

October 25, 2007 8:14 a.m. EST

Sacramento, CA (AHN) - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has offered a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of any arsonist in the state of California. The governor made the offer as 14 wild fires rages across the state the last four days, forcing the largest evacuation in U.S. history since Hurricane "Katrina" devastated Louisiana.

The announcement also came as weather forecasters on Thursday offered some respite to fire fighters saying the Santa Ana winds, which have fanned the spread of the blaze, had reached hurricane strength, and are just starting to die out.

The respite in the winds offered fire crews opportunity to dump water in some of the most destructive fires in the San Bernardino Straits. The wild fires have forced the evacuation of some one million people across southern California.

Schwarzenegger said in a statement, "I announced a 50,000-dollar reward for information leading toward the arrest and conviction in a California court of the person or persons responsible for setting the Santiago Fire."

Authorities believe that the Santiago Fire in Orange County, which has destroyed over 20,00 acres of land and caused the evacuation of over 40,000 people, is caused by an arsonist.

"State and local officials have determined that the cause of the Santiago fire is most likely arson," the governor said.

In San Diego, authorities forced the movement of over 300,000 people to temporary shelters, as the county is one of the worst affected by the fires.

But while the winds have shown signs of weakening, firefighters still face a gargantuan task of putting out the fire as there is no forecast of rain. Satellite image also show the wildfires are being blown out to sea.

The blazes already killed three people, including a fireman, and injured 20 others. It destroyed some 1,596 homes and the material damage is estimated to have risen to more than $1bn.

U.S. President George W Bush is scheduled to visit the affected areas later Thursday after declaring seven counties in the state as major disaster area.

An estimated 674 sq miles of land from Santa Barbara up to the Mexican border have been estimated to been razed by the wildfires.