Man found dead as fierce fire scorches southern California

The burnt body of a man has been found as a fast-moving blaze continues to surge through foothill communities in California.

Local authorities found the body outside a home in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, KTLA reports.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating the man’s death.

The inferno has forced mass evacuations of the county’s foothill communities.

More than 900 firefighters are battling the massive southern California fire, which has already burned through 20,000 acres of land.

It has forced the emergency evacuations of foothill communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernadino Mountains.

Dubbed the ‘Sand Fire’, the wildfire broke out on Friday near Santa Clarita, 65 kilometres from Los Angeles.

Locals have taken to social media to post photographs of the thick smoke from the blaze.

https://twitter.com/wilw/status/757001404103872512

https://twitter.com/ableparris/status/756994123286970372

https://twitter.com/SariCarpenter/status/756979467046625280

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a smoke advisory for the region, warning of unhealthy conditions.

At least 1500 homes have been evacuated since the fire began.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said it was being fuelled by arid conditions.

"Because this is the fifth year of an ongoing drought we have a lot dry vegetation," he said.

"Some of these fuels, they haven't burned in decades.”

Evacuation shelters have opened in areas surrounding Santa Clarita.