Deadly California blaze rages on

A fast-growing Californian blaze, which has killed two people, is starting to come under control, firefighters say.

Californian officials said two people have died in a fast-moving central wildfire. Source: AAP

Firefighters have begun to contain a wildfire in central California that has killed at least two people and destroyed 200 structures, fire officials say, as six other blazes raged in the state in an already intense wildfire season.

The intense conflagration known as Erskine, 180 kilometres north of Los Angeles, has melted steel, exploded structures and reduced homes to ash.

The Erskine fire is 10 per cent contained after ripping through nearly 60 square miles (155.4sqkm) the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), said on Sunday.

California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Kern County due to the fire damage.

In addition to the 200 destroyed structures, 75 homes have been damaged.

"Two fatalities have been confirmed. Additional fatalities are possible due to the extreme fire behaviour during the initial hours of the incident," the Kern County Fire Department said in a statement on Sunday morning.

Investigators were studying a third set of charred remains to determine whether they were human, officials said at a community meeting that was transmitted via the internet.

More than 1700 firefighters are working on the fire at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada range and hundreds of people from more than 10 communities have had to evacuate their homes.

A total of 4900 firefighters are in action on seven fires in the state, Cal Fire said.

Erskine spread rapidly on Thursday and Friday as winds drove it south and east from the Lake Isabella reservoir.

Crews worked in steep, rugged terrain, fighting flames fuelled by hot, rainless weather and brush, grass and chaparral left bone dry by a five-year drought.

Helicopters and air tankers were also in action.

On Saturday the fire was not contained at all, but by Sunday morning, firefighters were optimistic they had brought some of the eastern edges of the fire under control.

Fire officials said they hoped to let people back to fire-hit areas by noon on Sunday, but warned people not to return until emergency workers screened areas for toxic materials.