The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services flew over the lower portions of the Valley Fire area in a California National Guard helicopter on Friday, September 18, returning with these images of the devastation.

The Valley Fire, which started on September 6, has burned more than 75,000 acres and destroyed nearly 2,000 structures. Several thousand more structures remain threatened as firefighters battle to fully contain the blaze, currently at 75 percent containment. Three people were killed in the fire, and four firefighters have been injured, according to CalFire. The town of Middletown suffered severe damage. Credit: YouTube/CalOES