The true extent of the wildfires currently raging across California has been shown with an amateur video shot by local resident David Demaritini near Middletown, Lake County, on 12 September.

The video depicts Demartini driving through flames and smoke, showingthe remains of trees and buildings still glowing from the fire.

The so-called Valley Fire spread quickly to villages in the hills and valleys north of Napa County's wine-producing region, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, killing one woman and destroying around 400 homes.

About 40,000 acres of the landscape vanished in flames in the first 12 hours of the fire and by Monday night more than 1,400 firefighters were battling the flames.

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