California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials and Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said numerous homes had burned in the Keswick and Shasta areas. The Carr Fire is now 80,906 acres and 5 percent contained, according to Cal Fire. (Special to the Record Searchlight by photo by Hung T. Vu)

REDDING, Calif. – A wildfire raging in Northern California exploded in size overnight and continued its swift march toward heavily populated areas Thursday, killing at least one person and consuming nearly 45 square miles by late afternoon, fire officials said. REDDING, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on California's wildfires (all times local):

A fire official says an explosive wildfire in Northern California has killed a bulldozer operator as he fought to contain the blaze and injured three firefighters. Igo, and nearby Ono, were just two more communities in a series of cities, towns and hamlets threatened by a voracious wildfire in northern California that has destroyed 500 structures and grown to more than 75 square miles. California Gov. Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean says the Carr Fire in Shasta County burned over the bulldozer operator, who was hired privately, and his equipment. A bulldozer operator, who was hired privately, was killed in the blaze while at least three firefighters and an unknown number of civilians were injured with burns, said Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Shasta and Riverside Counties on Thursday over the Carr and Cranston fires, which were being supercharged by temperatures above 100 degrees F (37 C), erratic winds and low humidity.
The Carr wildfire threatening Redding, California, U.S., kills two firefighters, as many residents flee their homes.