'If I stopped, I would have been dead' - Man drives into 'Armageddon-like' bushfire

In the videos posted to Facebook George Hooker can be heard saying he doesn't know how he will get out the fires. Photo / Facebook / George Hooker

WARNING: Videos contain strong language

A man has filmed the horrifying moment he drove through one of the deadly bushfires raging in South Australia - which have already claimed the lives of two people.

In clips posted to his Facebook page George Hooker appears to be filming the fire with one hand and steering his car through it with the other, illustrating exactly what not to do in such a situation.

Despite the danger the man continues his journey through the thickening smoke, driving past shrubs and trees alight with flames.

"If I stopped I would have been dead so I just kept going not really thinking much at all," he told the BBC.

In one of the clips Mr Hooker can be heard swearing as he realises he is headed further into the fire without any idea how to get out.

"Bloody hell mate, it's dangerous. I shouldn't have come this way," he says.

After about 10 minutes of driving, the man stops on the side of the road, unsure of where to head next.

He can be heard coughing, and later speaking to another man in a second clip.

"It scared the s*** out of me going through there, and I couldn't go back because the fire was behind as well," the other man says.

"I am just going to sit here until it all dies down a bit."

After another few minutes of waiting, Hooker continues driving slowly down the road past what appears to be a crumpled abandoned car.

He is then ushered by firefighters up towards a police checkpoint and into the clear.

The devastating fires in South Australia have been dubbed "Armageddon-like", and the two people killed have been named as Janet Hughes and Allan Tiller.

Heartbroken family members and friends have paid tribute to the two - both of whom lived north of Adelaide, where a large fire has been raging for two days.
Ms Hughes, 56, was found dead in a car near Hamley Bridge, according to AAP.

Firefighters spent yesterday searching burnt-out cars and homes after the blaze raged across a 40km front.

Cooler conditions and lighter winds aided crews after a terrifying day on Wednesday, with the huge bushfire slowly being brought under control.

Residents look at damage caused to their property following bushfires in Freeling, north of Adelaide. Photo / Getty Images

"Our preliminary estimate is we've probably got 60 per cent of the fire contained," said Country Fire Service chief officer Greg Nettleton. The inferno has burned through some 90,000ha (220,000 acres) of land, razing at least 16 homes.

"We are hopeful we will have the fire contained sometime tomorrow."

South Australia state Premier Jay Weatherill said there were also 16 people in hospital, five of whom were either in a critical or serious condition with significant burns.

"We know that one of those people has burns to more than 80 per cent of their body," Weatherill said.

"Their condition is being closely monitored. But we do hold grave concerns for them."

South Australia Health tweeted that its medics had treated 35 people for serious burns, smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

The blaze - which preliminary investigations suggest was not deliberately lit - also incinerated outbuildings, farm machinery and vehicles as it sped across a stretched-out front, driven by strong, swirling winds late Wednesday, Weatherill added.

Livestock was lost with reports that thousands of chickens and pigs had been killed.

Police Chief Inspector Alex Zimmermann said the fire had moved with frightening speed.

"We do have teams out there going through the burnt-out dwellings and cars on roads which have been incinerated," he said.

"There's been complete destruction of some of these vehicles."

- Daily Mail and AAP