By Gina Keating
Reuters
Oct 27, 2006  BEAUMONT, California (Reuters) - Thick smoke and hot winds hampered firefighters struggling on Friday to get the upper hand on a deadly wildfire in mountains near Palm Springs, California, while the reward for information on those who started it rose to $500,000.
Four firefighters died and a fifth was on life support with burns over 90 percent of his body after being engulfed by the blaze on Thursday. By nightfall on Friday it had consumed 39,900 acres and was 25 per cent contained, Riverside County Fire Dept. officials said.
Fire officials are treating the blaze as arson and the deaths as murder but have not detailed their reasons. A reward rose from $100,000 to $500,000 on Friday after contributions from the local Morongo Indian tribe, county officials, California state coffers and a private donation.
The Los Angeles Times quoted local residents as saying they had seen teenagers smoking marijuana near where the fire is thought to have started about 17 miles northwest of Palm Springs.
Weather forecasters expected at least another 24 hours of seasonal Santa Ana winds, gusting up to 45 mph (72 kph), throughout tinder dry southern California.
The 15-mile wall of flames was expected to take days to bring under full control despite extra crews bringing the number of firefighters up to more than 2,000.
"When the Santa Ana winds blow, all bets are off and it is very difficult to predict," Riverside County Fire Dept. Chief John Hawkins told KCAL9 television.
Billowing clouds of acrid smoke made it difficult for water tankers and helicopters to operate for much of Friday.
Doctors said the prognosis for the injured fireman, Pablo Cerda, 23, was poor. In addition to burns, Cerda had kidney failure and severe lung damage.
RESIDENTS FLEE FLAMES
Meanwhile more than 700 people who were forced to flee on Thursday waited anxiously with friends or at rescue centers for news of their homes. At least 10 buildings have been destroyed but the number was expected to rise.
A wildfire in the Bitterroot National Forest in the State of Montana.
A wildfire has been reported near Palm Springs, California. 

At least 4 United States Forest Service firefighters were killed and 1 seriously injured, with burns on nearly 95% of his body.  The firefighters were overcome by fire while attempting to put out a blaze inside a home. The fire has burned nearly 10,000 acres and has destroyed 5 houses including 5 other buildings.

"We had a lot of fire activity overnight. Normally the fire dies down and the winds let up but that didn't happen last night. It burned like it was daytime," said California Department of Forestry spokesman, Bill Peters.

"The chances of survival are low when you have that bad of an injury," said Arrowhead Regional Medical Centre surgeon, Doctor Dev Gnanadev who also added that the firefighter has suffered "severe respiratory damage."

Witnesses have reported that 2 males were seen leaving the area of the fire at 1:00 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Authorities have determined that the blaze was due to arson and are offering a $500,000 USD reward for information leading to an arrest, but no information on how or why the fire was set has been released. Authorities say that murder could be among the arson charges who whoever is responsible.

"This is an arson fire. This is a deliberately set arson fire," said California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, John Hawkins.

Nearly 1,000 people have been evacuated from the area.