California fires: Terrifying footage shows police driving towards huge wildfires as rescue attempts continue

Terrifying footage has emerged of police officers driving towards huge California wildfires as rescue attempts continue with more than 200 people still missing.

LA County Sheriff’s Department tweeted the clip, which was filmed in the Woolsey Fire in southern California, on Tuesday afternoon.

The post was captioned: “A view from many of our radio cars on Friday.

“We are fortunate there have been no reported injuries of LASD Personnel in the Woolsey Fire.

“LASD has 100s of deputies, reserves & volunteers from the entire department working together to protect property & lives!”

Two people have been killed in the Woolsey Fire and 29 confirmed dead in the separate Camp Fire in northern California, matching the state's record for deaths in a single fire.

Another 228 remain unaccounted for in the Camp Fire, with crews stepping up the search for bodies and missing people.

Both fires have been whipped up by hot dry winds which are expected to continue through Tuesday, officials said.

The winds were expected to heighten the risk of fresh blazes ignited by scattered embers.

More than 224,000 people have already been forced to flee by the fires, with the Malibu homes of celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Gerard Butler and Robin Thicke destroyed.

The Camp Fire, 40 miles north of Sacramento, burned down more than 6,700 homes and businesses in the town of Paradise, more structures than any other wildfire recorded in California.

The blaze has probably caused between $2billion and $4billion in insured property damage, Morgan Stanley estimated in a report on Monday.

It has scorched more than 113,000 acres and on Monday was 25 per cent contained, officials said.

Its death toll of 29 equals that of the Griffith Park Fire in 1933, the deadliest wildfire on record in California.

Speaking on CNN, Kory Honea, sheriff of northern California's Butte County, said he holds out hope that many people listed as missing will turn up safe but "given what we've dealt with so far with casualties as a result of this fire, I have concerns that it (the death toll) will rise."

In southern California, the Woolsey Fire has burned more than 91,000 acres and was 20 per cent contained.

The fire had forced authorities to issue evacuation orders for a quarter of a million people in Ventura and Los Angeles counties and beachside communities including the Malibu beach colony.

The number of people missing was not immediately available.

Many of those who have been allowed to return have been left without power or cellphone service, even if their homes were spared by the flames.

A smaller blaze in southern California, the Hill Fire, was 75 per cent contained and had burned 4,531 acres, officials said.