Coastal Fire Torches 20 Upscale Homes In Laguna Beach Area

A wildfire near Laguna Beach, California, has already destroyed 20 homes and will likely continue to ravage the region throughout the day.

The blaze -- called the Coastal Fire -- raged through the early morning hours on Thursday, during which time fire crews were dispatched to attempt to stop its advance.

Despite their efforts, by Thursday morning a score of homes -- including five multi-million dollar mansions, one of which was listed for $10m -- were left in smoldering ruins as the blaze continued to grow to around 200 acres.

The wildfire is the fueled in-part the ongoing drought conditions affecting much of the western and southwestern US. The lack of rain causes regional flora to dry out, which then creates ideal conditions to fuel wildfires.

Fire crews believe the blaze started in the Aliso Woods Canyon, which abuts one of the Laguna neighborhoods. Mandatory evacuation orders have been enacted for parts of Laguna Niguel.