Five abandoned houses have burned to the ground and another was damaged during a fast moving fire near Delano.

The fire started before 11:00 Thursday morning at one home on Woollomes Ave and Famoso-Porterville Highway then jumped to the others through the overgrown grass. Nearby vineyards were also damaged by the heat.

Arson investigators are looking into a report that a man left the area before the fire started.

Kelli Forsch