Los Angeles ? Homes destroyed, prized possessions gone forever, lives altered — the wildfires sweeping parts of Southern California have been taking an increasingly serious toll.

Like so many of his neighbors, Adi Ellad managed to flee before the fiery onslaught consumed his home in Tujunga Canyon. And like the others, he had to leave precious things behind.

To Ellad, it was a Persian rug, and family heirloom, as well as a photo album he put together after his father died.

“One second I’m crying, one second I’m guilty, the next moment I’m angry, and then I just want to drink tequila and forget,” said Ellad.

Ellad’s tragedy was visited on dozens of other Californians on Monday with the number of homes destroyed by flames rising to 53 as the blaze blackened a wide swath of tinder-dry forest. The flames threatened many other homes, forcing thousands of others to flee.

Fire crews battling the blaze in the Angeles National Forest tried desperately to beat back the flames and prayed for weather conditions to ease. The fire was the largest of at least eight burning across California after days of triple-digit temperatures and low humidity.

The fire scorched 164 square miles of brush, and threatened 12,000 homes, but the lack of wind kept them from driving stormily into the hearts of the dense suburbs northeast of Los Angeles.

Columns of smoke billowed high into the air before dispersing into a gauzy white haze that burned eyes and prompted warnings of unhealthy air throughout the Los Angeles area. Smoke could be seen billowing around the fabled Hollywood sign.

“It’s burning everywhere,” U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Dianne Cahir said. “When it gets into canyons that haven’t burned in numerous years, it takes off. If you have any insight into the good Lord upstairs, put in a request.”

The exact number of people injured or threatened by the fire was still not clear.

Among those evacuated were Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal and his wife from their home in La Canada Flintridge. Furcal was given the day off for Monday’s home game against Arizona.

Over the weekend, three people who refused to evacuate were burned when they were overrun by flames, including a couple who had sought refuge in a hot tub, authorities said.

Authorities revised an earlier report that five people were trapped in a canyon near Gold Creek. They later said five men and one woman refused several orders to evacuate the remote ranch.

“When we tried to get them out, they said they’re fine, no problem, they didn’t want to leave,” said fire spokesman Larry Marinas.

Fire crews set backfires and sprayed fire retardant at Mount Wilson, home to at least 20 television transmission towers, radio and cell phone antennas, and the century-old Mount Wilson Observatory. The observatory also houses two giant telescopes and several multimillion-dollar university programs. It is both a landmark for its historic discoveries and a thriving modern center for astronomy.

If the flames hit the mountain, cell phone service and TV and radio transmissions would be disrupted, but the extent was unclear.