People in southern California are still reeling under devastating wildfires, with harrowing sights being witnessed in and around the cities of Santa Paula and Ventura. It was reported that the flames moved closer to hit the heart of Los Angeles city as a new blaze, dubbed the Skirball Fire, erupted in the Bel-Air neighbourhood near landmarks like the UCLA campus and the Getty Museum.

Early morning commuters took to social media to share videos of the 475-acre Skirball Fire that had reached 405 Freeway, the United States’ busiest highway. Commuters drove through a shower of ash, as the hills on either side of the highway can be seen completely consumed by the fire. “Not the typical morning commute,” said a user who had posted the video (above) on Twitter.

Another video (below), posted by the Los Angeles County Fire Air Operations, was shot from the Firehawk helicopter as it navigated high winds and dense smoke.

More aerial footage (below) from Ventura city shows houses and other building engulfed in the flames of the Thomas fire. As a result, nearly 1,000 homes in Ventura, Santa Paula and Ojai were evacuated, and at least 150 structures were destroyed, Los Angeles Times reported.

This poignant video (below) shows a lone horse running for its life on a highway near Los Angeles. California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Ventura County, promising to attack the fire “with all we’ve got”.

The smoke from the fires could also be seen from the International Space Station.