Fleeing drivers run terrifying gauntlet of raging wildfire

Astounding video of a hellish wildfire shows drivers fleeing down a highway as the blaze approaches the road.

The blaze, dubbed the Canyon Fire, has been raging in southern California since the start of the week and has forced 1500 people to flee their homes.

Footage shot by eyewitnesses shows the huge fire roaring on the side of a highway in Riverside Country, California, while drivers head past it at high speeds.

It is believed one building has so far been damaged and 500 evacuated, while the fire has also burned through more than 800 hectares of forest.

Evacuation orders have been lifted as firefighters continue to battle the partially-contained wilfire.