The devastating California Holy Fire has scorched nearly 20,000 acres this week, amid health fears over the spread of ash in the air.
In one shocking video, a group of animals can be seen running in a panicked, terrified manner as the burning blaze edges closer.
The footage was taken at Heavenly Acres Throughbreds Ranch in Corona in southern California, which lies directly in the path of the powerful wildfire.
Kandiss Crone, from CBS, described an ostrich close to the fence running around in a “panicked” manner.
Crone said that the heavy proportion of ash in the air has trigged widespread “breathing problems” in the area.
More than 20,000 people have been evacuated so far across the state following a series of mandatory evacuation orders.
Officials have warned that the wildfire is still just ten percent contained.
California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in two counties, as schools closed yesterday for the second day in a row.
The so-called ‘Holy Fire’ has been raging for the past four days, with more than 1,000 firefighters still on the front line of the battle against the blaze.
At least 10 helicopters and seven fixed-wing aircraft have been assisting fire crews.
The wildfire continues to threaten homes around Lake Elsinore in Orange County and thousands of homes south of Los Angeles.
Firefighters with the Clevelend National Forest blamed the fast-moving wildfire on the “steep topography with limited access and nowhere for our fire fighters to go”
The scale of the blaze has even prompted experts from Australia and New Zealand to fly over to share their advice in battling bush fires.
The man suspected of being behind the destruction appeared in court yesterday accused of arson.
Forrest Clark made several bizarre outbursts during the hearing in Orange County, and refused to show his face.
He told a volunteer fire chief two weeks ago in a text message that “this place is going to burn”.