A newborn kitten bearing a striking resemblance to Star Wars favourite Baby Yoda has been rescued from the California wildfires.

The Force was clearly with the tiny moggie, who was found in the middle of a road in northern California by firefighters battling the North Complex Fire a week ago.

She was covered in smoke and ash and is estimated to be around two or three weeks old.

The animal was taken to the Cal Oak Animal Shelter, where she was examined by a vet, North Valley Animal Disaster Group, which named her Baby Yoda, said on Facebook.

With enormous ears, round eyes, and a little button nose, the similarity to the character in the Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, is easy to spot.

The original Yoda was Luke Skywalker’s Jedi instructor in The Empire Strikes Back.

North Valley vice president Norm Rosene told CNN the group has been flooded with requests from people interested in adopting her, so “Baby Yoda will have no problem finding a home”.

After using up one, or maybe more, of her nine lives, she is currently being cared for by a medical foster carer as the rescue group waits a month before offering animals rescued from fires for adoption.

Rosene said: “We will hang on to the animals and give everyone a chance to get their lives together before claiming their animals. Who knows, Baby Yoda’s parents might be out there looking for her and waiting to get her back.”

More than 70 large wildfires are burning across the western US, fuelled by drought, strong winds, dry vegetation and above average temperatures.

At least 26 people have died in the blazes affecting California, Oregon and Washington State, with millions of acres of land destroyed, whole towns wiped out, and many thousands of people forced to leave their homes.