The wildfire ravaging California created an insane-looking 'fire vortex' - see the terrifying footage

AP Photo/Noah Berger

A car passes through flames on Highway 299 as the Carr Fire burns through Shasta, Calif., Thursday, July 26, 2018. Fueled by high temperatures, wind and low humidity, the blaze destroyed multiple homes and at least one historic building.

• Videos show the Carr Fire producing a 'fire vortex' as it rips through the town of Redding, California.
• While the vortex may appear similar to a tornado, it's created through a different mechanism.
• See below for the footage.

The Carr Fire tearing through Northern California is so powerful that it's creating its own weather patterns. 

The explosive blaze reached the city of Redding on Thursday night. By Saturday morning, the fire grew to 80,906 acres and is only around 5% contained, according to officials.

The fire has destroyed 500 structures, and officials say 5,000 more are threatened. Around 37,000 people remain under evacuation orders.

Among the scariest videos to emerge from the scene is this apocalyptic-looking "rotation updraft," or fire vortex, which looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie.

See the video, first posted on Twitter by ABC10, a local ABC affiliate:

And in this video, posted by NBC, you can see a time lapse of the fire approaching Redding:

While the fire's movements may resemble a tornado, it's actually a different mechanism that causes the rotation. Hot smoke creates an updraft, that pulls embers and flames upwards. That pull creates strong winds, which form the vortex.

On top of that, the Carr Fire is so strong it created its own weather patterns, The Los Angeles Times reported.